IOWA  BIOGRAPHICAL  SERIES 

EDITED  BY  BENJAMIN  F.  SHAMBAUGH 


GEORGE    WALLACE     JONES 


:I:OR<;K   w.u.r, ACE  .IONKS 


IOWA    BIOGRAPHICAL    SERIES 

EDITED     BY     BENJAMIN     F.    SHAMBAUGH 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

BY 
JOHN    CARL    PARISH 


THE  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  IOWA 
IOWA    CITY    IOWA    1912 


3 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

DESCRIBED  as  "  a  tall,  erect  figure,  fastidious 
ly  dressed,  with  an  abundance  of  curling 
black  hair,  an  engaging  smile,  and  the 
manners  of  a  Lord  Chesterfield",  George 
Wallace  Jones  was  always  an  interesting 
character,  whether  in  the  halls  of  Congress 
or  on  the  frontier.  His  varied  experiences 
as  "  farmer,  country  merchant,  lead  miner 
and  smelter,  clerk  of  court,  judge,  soldier, 
land  speculator,  politician,  and  diplomat" 
suggest  the  kaleidoscopic  career  of  the  early 
middle  westerner  who  was  able  to  raise  him 
self  above  the  commonplace. 

This  volume  is  not  strictly  speaking  a  bi 
ography  :  it  is,  indeed,  both  biographical  and 
autobiographical.  The  autobiography  and 
personal  recollections  of  Jones  have  been 
supplemented  by  a  comprehensive  biograph 
ical  sketch  by  Doctor  Parish.  Thus  the 
materials  of  the  book  have  naturally  been 
arranged  in  three  parts  -  - 1  Biographical 
Sketch;  II  Autobiography;  III  Personal 


ft  5793 


viii  EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

Eecollections.  The  reader  should  not  over 
look  the  Notes  and  References  -  -  especially 
those  connected  with  the  Autobiography  and 
the  Personal  Eecollections. 

BENJ.  F.  SHAMBAUGH 

OFFICE  OF  THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  EDITOR 

THE  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  IOWA 

IOWA  CITY 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

THE  history  of  beginnings  in  the  Common 
wealths  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley  would 
be  incomplete  without  the  story  of  George 
Wallace  Jones  who  as  Delegate  to  Congress 
from  the  Territory  of  Michigan  secured  the 
creation  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  who  as 
Delegate  from  that  Territory  in  turn  brought 
about  the  establishment  of  the  Territory  of 
Iowa,  and  who,  together  with  Augustus  Caesar 
Dodge,  first  represented  the  State  of  Iowa  in 
the  United  States  Senate. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  volume  to  portray 
the  life  of  George  Wallace  Jones  primarily  by 
means  of  his  own  Autobiography  and  Personal 
Recollections  —  which  are  here  published  for 
the  first  time  —  and  secondarily  by  a  brief 
Biographical  Sketch  which  it  is  hoped  will  serve 
to  fill  in  details  left  untold  by  Jones  and  to  fur 
nish  a  consecutive  outline  of  the  incidents  of 
his  career,  among  which  the  autobiographer 
rambled  at  times  somewhat  confusedly. 

The  autobiographical  materials  were  found 
by  the  writer  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  while  on  a 
search  on  behalf  of  The  State  Historical  Society 
of  Iowa  for  data  concerning  early  men  and 


x  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

events  of  that  vicinity.  The  autobiographical 
manuscript  was  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Linn 
Jones  Deuss,  a  daughter  of  George  Wallace 
Jones,  and  through  her  kindness  it  was  loaned 
to  The  State  Historical  Society  of  Iowa  to  be 
copied  for  publication.  The  manuscript  con 
sisted  of  several  hundred  pages  of  typewritten 
matter,  written  evidently  upon  the  dictation  of 
Jones  at  different  periods  of  time  during  the 
last  ten  years  of  his  life.  Copies  of  a  variety 
of  letters,  petitions,  and  other  miscellaneous 
papers  were  also  included  in  the  manuscript. 

The  nature  of  the  materials  made  it  necessary 
to  take  some  editorial  liberties  with  the  original 
manuscript.  The  various  sections  and  chapters, 
written  at  different  times,  were  arranged  pri 
marily  in  an  order  that  was  without  system  or 
logical  sequence.  The  order  of  the  original 
manuscript  was  accordingly  discarded  and  the 
sections  placed  as  nearly  as  possible  in  their 
chronological  sequence.  As  will  be  seen  the 
materials  have  been  arbitrarily  divided  into  (I) 
the  Autobiography  and  (II)  Personal  Recol 
lections.  The  miscellaneous  letters  and  papers 
have  been  omitted  from  this  publication. 

One  chapter  of  the  Autobiography  —  that  on 
Legislative  Matters  —  is  the  result  of  a  com 
bination  of  two  portions  of  the  original  and  is 
the  only  part  of  the  manuscript  in  which  the 
arrangement  of  paragraphs  within  sections  has 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE  xi 

been  changed.  The  headings  are  not  in  all  cases 
the  same  as  given  in  the  original  manuscript. 

It  was  evident  from  an  examination  of  the 
original  manuscript  that  Jones  made  little  or  no 
revision  of  the  document  after  it  had  been  type 
written  from  his  dictation.  It  would  not  there 
fore  be  just  to  Jones  to  preserve  in  the  edited 
work  all  the  mechanical  defects  which  may  have 
been  due  to  the  copyist.  Some  changes  have 
therefore  been  made  in  punctuation  and  capital 
ization;  abbreviated  words  have  usually  been 
spelled  out ;  and  in  a  few  cases  the  wording  has 
been  slightly  modified  in  order  to  make  the 
meaning  clear.  At  the  request  of  Mrs.  Deuss 
the  manuscript  before  being  copied  was  exam 
ined  by  her  lawyer,  Judge  D.  J.  Lenehan,  of 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  who  indicated  several  passages 
to  be  omitted.  Where  such  omissions  occur 
marks  indicating  the  fact  have  been  inserted. 

The  memory  of  Jones  was  variable.  Allow 
ance  should  be  made  for  the  fact  that  the  ac 
count  of  his  experiences  was  dictated  by  him 
almost  entirely  from  memory  after  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  four  score  years,  and  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  after  the  years  of 
his  public  life  were  over.  In  many  instances  his 
memory  is  vivid  and  accurate ;  but  often  it  slips 
into  error.  The  writer  has  endeavored  to  guard 
the  reader  against  inaccuracies,  partly  by  means 
of  the  Biographical  Sketch  and  partly  by  the 


xii  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

Notes  and  References  correcting  and  illumi 
nating  specific  points.  It  is  essential,  therefore, 
that  wherever  notes  are  indicated,  they  should 
be  consulted  before  the  accuracy  of  the  text  is 
accepted.  There  are,  doubtless,  other  inaccu 
racies  which  it  has  been  impossible  to  check  up 
and  correct  in  the  Notes  and  References. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that  the  publication  of  the 
Autobiography  and  Personal  Recollections  has 
been  made  possible  through  the  kindness  of 
Mrs.  Linn  Jones  Deuss  and  Judge  D.  J.  Lene- 
han  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  to  whom  grateful  ac 
knowledgment  is  hereby  made.  Through  the 
courtesy  of  Mr.  Edgar  E.  Harlan,  Curator  of 
the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
access  was  had  to  the  collection  of  volumes 
embodying  the  Correspondence  of  George  W. 
Jones,  which  were  of  great  value  in  the  prepar 
ation  of  the  Biographical  Sketch.  Acknowledg 
ments  are  also  gladly  given  to  the  editor  of  the 
Iowa  Biographical  Series,  Dr.  Benj.  F.  Sham- 
baugh,  for  aid  and  advice  in  editing  the  Auto 
biography  and  Personal  Recollections  as  well 
as  for  valuable  assistance  of  a  more  general 
nature. 

JOHN  GAEL  PARISH 
MONTCLAIR,  COLORADO 


CONTENTS 

PART  I 
BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH 

I.  FORMATIVE  PERIOD 3 

II.  TERRITORIAL  OFFICE 14 

III.  UNITED  STATES  SENATOR 36 

IV.  LATER  YEARS 58 

PART  II 
AUTOBIOGRAPHY 

I.  GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 75 

II.  SINSINAWA 142 

III.  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR     .  148 

IV.  LAND  MATTERS  IN  DUBUQUE 151 

V.  THE  CILLEY  DUEL 157 

VI.     LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS 171 

VII.     DOUGLAS   AND   THE   ILLINOIS    CENTRAL 

RAILROAD 189 

VIII.     THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD     .     .     .  206 

IX.     MINISTER  TO   BOGOTA 216 

X.     MY  MEETING  WITH  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN     .  235 

PAET  III 
PERSONAL   RECOLLECTIONS 

PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 251 

NOTES  AND  REFERENCES 305 

INDEX  .  335 


PAETI 
BIOGEAPHICAL    SKETCH 


T  ',.."   •  "•' 

FOKMATIVE  PEKIOD  ' 

IT  was  given  to  George  Wallace  Jones  to  enjoy 
a  long  life  —  a  life  of  over  ninety-two  years, 
spanning  almost  completely  the  nineteenth  cen 
tury.  Prior  to  1861  these  were  busy  years, 
spent  in  half  a  dozen  frontier  States  and 
Territories  and  in  a  young  republic  of  South 
America;  and  they  were  concerned  with  a 
strange  variety  of  occupations.  After  the  out 
break  of  the  Civil  War  he  lived  his  remaining 
thirty-five  years  in  retirement  in  the  town  of 
Dubuque  —  an  old  man  with  the  spirits  of  a  boy, 
passing  his  days  among  men  who  loved  him  and 
men  who  hated  him  until  he  was  finally  gathered 
to  his  own  long-dead  generation. 

George  W.  Jones  was  born  at  Vincennes  in 
the  Territory  of  Indiana  on  April  12,  1804.  At 
an  early  age  he  moved  to  the  Territory  of  Mis 
souri.  Then,  while  still  a  young  man,  he 
migrated  to  the  Territory  of  Michigan,  where 
he  remained  in  the  western  part  until  it  became 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  Later  he  crossed 
the  Mississippi  River  and  settled  in  the  Terri 
tory  of  Iowa. 

With  the  exception  of  Ohio,  he  lived  in  each 


4  GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

of  the  five  Commonwealths  of  the  Old  Northwest 
during  their  Territorial  periods ;  and  from  two 
of  theee  western  Territories  he  was  sent  as 
Delegate  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 
He  was  educated  in  the  State  of  Kentucky, 
studied  law  and  held  office  in  the  State  of  Mis 
souri,  and  was  one  of  the  first  two  United 
States  Senators  sent  to  Washington  from  the 
State  of  Iowa.  At  one  time  or  another  he  was 
farmer,  country  merchant,  lead  miner  and 
smelter,  clerk  of  court,  judge,  soldier,  land 
speculator,  politician,  and  diplomat. 

The  father  of  George  W.  Jones  was  John 
Rice  Jones  —  a  Welshman  by  birth  who  had 
been  well  educated  in  England.  Crossing  over 
to  America  at  an  early  date,  the  father  practiced 
law  for  a  brief  time  in  Philadelphia,  then  moved 
further  west,  became  Commissary  in  the  army 
of  George  Eogers  Clark,  and  later  settled  at 
Vincennes.  Here  he  became  very  prominent  in 
the  politics  of  the  Territory  of  Indiana,  holding 
numerous  offices  and  exercising  large  influence 
in  the  shaping  of  Territorial  events.  Particu 
larly  was  he  active  in  efforts  directed  toward 
the  introduction  of  slavery  into  the  country 
north  of  the  Ohio  River.1 

In  1809  John  Rice  Jones  removed  to  Kas- 
kaskia  in  the  newly  organized  Territory  of 
Illinois,  and  a  year  later  crossed  the  Mississippi 
to  Ste.  Genevieve  in  Missouri.2  Missouri 


FORMATIVE  PERIOD  5 

proved  no  less  inviting  as  a  field  for  political 
activities,  and  so  John  Eice  Jones  became  a 
conspicuous  member  of  the  Constitutional  Con 
vention  of  Missouri  in  1820  and  afterwards 
served  several  years  as  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State.3 

George  was  but  six  years  of  age  when  his 
father  moved  to  Ste.  Genevieve.  He  attended 
a  school  which  was  conducted  by  Mann  Butler, 
the  historian.4  And  it  was  at  Ste.  Genevieve 
that  in  1814  he  served  as  a  drummer  boy  for  a 
company  commanded  by  Captain  William  Linn, 
a  younger  brother  of  Lewis  F.  Linn.5 

In  the  fall  of  this  same  year,  1814,  John  Rice 
Jones  moved  first  to  New  Diggings,  a  settlement 
northwest  of  St.  Louis,  and  later  to  Potosi,  a 
few  miles  distant.  At  a  Catholic  College  in  St. 
Louis,  under  Bishop  Du  Bourg,  George  received 
further  education ;  and  in  1821  he  was  prepared 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  to  enter  the  freshman 
class  of  Transylvania  University  at  Lexington, 
Kentucky. 

The  experiences  of  the  next  four  years  in  this 
famous  old  Kentucky  institution  were  probably 
of  less  value  from  the  standpoint  of  the  acquisi 
tion  of  classical  and  mathematical  knowledge 
than  from  that  of  associations.  Here  young 
Jones  found  great  men  in  the  making,  and  here 
he  formed  attachments  whose  influence  upon  his 
life  was  profoundly  effective.  He  made  the 


6  GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

journey  to  Lexington  under  the  charge  of 
Ninian  Edwards,  United  States  Senator  from 
Illinois.  He  arrived  with  letters  of  introduction 
to  Henry  Clay  and  William  T.  Barry,  who  were 
to  act  as  his  patrons. 

Among  his  fellow  students  during  these  years 
were  David  E.  Atchison,  Stevens  T.  Mason,  and 
the  young  Mississippian  who  forty  years  later 
became  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 
Between  Jefferson  Davis  and  George  W.  Jones 
there  sprang  up  in  their  college  days  a  friend 
ship  whose  warmth  knew  no  abatement  during 
life. 

From  his  autobiography  one  might  infer  that 
the  incidentals  of  a  college  education  appealed 
to  him  more  strongly  than  the  curriculum.  He 
tells  of  his  classmates  and  acquaintances  in  the 
city,  speaks  of  joining  the  cavalry  company  of 
Captain  Prindle  "for  exercise ",  and  relates 
that  he  was  appointed  sergeant  of  the  body 
guard  which  escorted  Andrew  Jackson  through 
the  State  of  Kentucky  in  November,  1823,  and 
that  he  performed  a  similar  service  in  May, 
1824,  upon  the  occasion  of  Lafayette's  visit  to 
this  country. 

Letters  written  to  him  during  these  years  by 
his  college  mates  give  hints  of  still  other  inter 
ests.  In  the  summer  of  1823,  several  letters 
written  to  Jones  by  E.  A.  Turpin  ask  about  a 
young  lady  named  Louisa.  In  one,  the  solicitous 


FORMATIVE  PERIOD  7 

friend  inquires:  "How  speed  you  with  Louisa? 
Prosperously  I  hope  though  I  do  not  think  you 
write  rapturously  enough  of  her,  for  a  very 
ardent  lover".  He  further  admonishes  him: 
"give  my  love  to  your  2  girls  Ann  &  Louisa".6 
Jones  was  of  an  eminently  gallant  nature, 
always  susceptible  to  feminine  charms,  and  it  is 
probable  that  he  did  not  pass  through  his  col 
lege  life  without  more  or  less  serious  affairs 
of  the  heart.  There  are  frequent  mentions 
throughout  his  letters  of  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
Bodley,  and  it  is  more  than  likely  that  he  lived 
at  their  home  while  a  student  in  Lexington. 

In  July,  1825,  Jones  graduated  from  Transyl 
vania  and  returned  to  Missouri,  taking  up  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  his  brother-in-law, 
John  Scott,  at  Ste.  Genevieve.  He  spent  some 
time  in  this  pursuit,  but  seems  never  to  have 
been  admitted  to  the  bar.7  Before  many  months 
had  elapsed  he  became  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  cir 
cuit  court  of  the  county,  and  shortly  afterward 
he  was  appointed  Clerk  of  the  United  States 
District  Court  —  a  position  which  he  held  for 
several  years. 

Confinement  in  the  law  office  and  court-room 
appears  to  have  undermined  his  health,  and  so 
upon  the  urgent  advice  of  his  physician,  Dr. 
Lewis  F.  Linn,  he  decided  to  migrate  to  the 
Fever  Eiver  lead  mines  and  engage  in  mining 
and  smelting  for  the  sake  of  the  out-of-door  life. 


8  GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

The  spring  of  1827  found  Mm  a  squatter  upon 
a  rising  eminence  known  as  Sinsinawa  Mound 
in  what  is  now  the  extreme  southwestern  corner 
of  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  Not  long  after  his 
coming  he  returned  to  Ste.  Genevieve  for 
laborers  and  supplies,  and  again  he  became 
prostrated  with  the  fever.  It  was  not  until  the 
opening  of  another  spring  that,  with  a  pony,  an 
outfit,  and  perhaps  a  dozen  French  laborers,  he 
regained  the  lead  mines. 

Just  at  this  time  the  rush  to  the  vicinity  of 
Galena  was  at  its  height.  The  mines  had  long 
been  worked.  The  Indians,  by  slow  and  cumber 
some  methods,  had  dug  out  and  smelted  the  ore 
for  many  years.  In  1822  Colonel  James  John 
son  came  into  the  district  and  began  operations.8 
Gradually  new-comers  arrived  and  built  mining 
shacks  and  furnaces.  The  fame  of  the  mines 
spread  and  diggings  sprang  up  throughout  the 
district,  peopled  by  adventurous  spirits  from  all 
quarters  of  the  country  and  even  from  Europe. 
Up  the  river  they  came  in  shoals  in  the  spring 
and  down  again  they  went  in  the  fall,  giving  to 
Illinois  the  name  of  "  Sucker  State "  from  the 
resemblance  of  their  migrations  to  those  of  the 
sucker  in  the  great  Mississippi.9  More  and 
more  they  came  to  be  permanent  dwellers,  hardy 
men,  well  equipped  with  the  qualities  which 
were  essential  to  the  frontiersman.  Among  the 
men  of  this  type  who  migrated  to  the  lead  mines 


FORMATIVE  PERIOD  9 

in  the  same  year  with  Jones  was  Henry  Dodge 
—  a  long  time  friend  of  Jones  in  the  town  of 
Ste.  Genevieve. 

At  Sinsinawa  Mound,  upon  his  return  in  1828, 
Jones  set  up  two  furnaces  and  began  to  smelt 
the  lead  which  his  teamsters  brought  in  from 
the  surrounding  mines.  He  had  also  brought 
with  him  from  St.  Louis  a  stock  of  merchandise 
which  he  disposed  of  to  the  miners.  With  these 
two  forms  of  occupation  he  was  a  busy  man  and 
a  prosperous  one  as  well.  The  summer  was 
enlivened  for  him  by  frequent  visits  from  Jef 
ferson  Davis,  who,  just  out  of  West  Point,  was 
stationed  at  Fort  Crawford  a  few  miles  away. 

As  winter  approached  Jones  decided  to  sus 
pend  mining  operations  and  return  to  Ste. 
Genevieve  until  spring.  Moreover,  there  were 
other  considerations  than  those  of  climate  in  his 
mind  at  this  time.  Three  years  before,  soon 
after  his  return  from  college,  he  had  met 
Josephine  Gregoire  at  a  ball  and  had  sur 
rendered  immediately  to  her  charms.  The 
Gregoire  family  —  one  of  the  old  French  fami 
lies  that  gave  so  much  of  culture  and  of  interest 
to  the  early  history  of  Missouri  —  had  long 
before  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ste.  Gene 
vieve.  Josephine  was  only  seventeen,  but  her 
parents  consented  to  her  marriage  and  the  cere 
mony  took  place  on  January  7,  1829. 

It  was  two  years  and  more,  Jones  relates,  be- 


10      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

fore  he  brought  his  young  wife  to  the  lead 
mining  country.  But  it  seems  probable  from 
letters  written  to  Jones  in  1829  and  1830  that  in 
both  of  those  years  he  made  trips  to  the  mines 
to  care  for  his  interests  in  that  region.10  In  the 
spring  of  1831,  taking  with  him  his  wife, 
seven  slaves  and  a  number  of  French  laborers, 
he  made  his  way  up  the  river  to  Sinsinawa 
Mound.11  Before  the  year  was  out,  a  two-story 
hewed-log  house  arose  beside  the  two  unhewed 
log  cabins,  and  on  the  crude  mining  frontier 
Sinsinawa  became  well  known  as  a  place  of  hos 
pitality  and  good  cheer.  It  was  the  home  of 
Jones  for  over  a  decade.  Here  he  carried  on 
his  mining  and  smelting  operations,  conducted 
his  store,  and  later  served  as  postmaster.12 

Dangers  as  well  as  hardships  attended  the 
early  inhabitants  of  the  lead  mining  country. 
In  the  spring  of  1832  the  Indian  disturbances, 
caused  by  the  re-appearance  of  Black  Hawk  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  River,  became  so 
menacing  that  Jones  sent  his  wife  back  to  Ste. 
Genevieve,  built  a  block-house  at  Sinsinawa 
Mound  and  prepared  for  serious  trouble.  On 
May  23,  Felix  St.  Vrain,  the  Indian  Agent  at 
Rock  Island,  and  a  brother-in-law  of  Jones,  was 
massacred,  with  several  companions,  east  of 
Galena.  Jones  upon  hearing  these  ill  tidings  at 
once  mounted  horse  and  rode  to  the  spot,  where 
he  found  the  troops  of  Henry  Dodge. 


FORMATIVE  PERIOD  H 

Dodge  had  been  a  family  friend  at  Ste.  Gene- 
vieve  and  so  it  was  natural  that  he  should  now 
offer  to  George  W.  Jones  the  position  of  aid-de 
camp.  Jones  was  delighted  to  accept  the  ap 
pointment  and  serve  with  Dodge  in  the  short  but 
decisive  campaign  that  resulted  in  the  complete 
humiliation  of  Black  Hawk.13  While  in  the 
midst  of  this  campaign,  Dodge  was  appointed 
Major  of  a  battalion  of  Mounted  Eangers.14  As 
a  consequence  he  resigned  from  his  position  as 
Colonel  in  the  Militia  of  Iowa  County  and  Jones 
was  elected  to  succeed  him.  Some  time  later, 
upon  the  occasion  of  Dodge's  removal  from  the 
country  in  connection  with  military  duties,15 
Jones  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  Michi 
gan  Territory  to  fill  the  place  vacated  by  Dodge 
as  Chief  Justice  of  the  county  court  of  Iowa 
County.  At  the  time  of  holding  court  Jones  re 
paired  to  Mineral  Point,  but  he  still  maintained 
his  residence  at  Sinsinawa  Mound. 

The  lure  of  politics  was  already  beginning  to 
draw  strongly  upon  Jones.  He  was  nearly 
thirty  and  was  becoming  well  known  throughout 
the  entire  lead  mining  region.  Happy  in  dis 
position  and  sociable  by  nature  he  made  friends 
easily.  At  the  opening  of  the  year  1834  he 
learned  of  the  probability  of  the  creation  of 
several  new  land  offices,  and  he  at  once  under 
took  to  capture  one  of  the  offices  in  the  district 
including  the  lead  mines.  He  had  numerous 


12      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

friends  at  Washington  who  offered  him  assist 
ance.16  But  the  power  of  nomination  lay  with 
Lucius  Lyon,  at  that  time  Delegate  from  the 
Territory  of  Michigan;  and  it  appears  that  he 
named  John  P.  Sheldon  for  the  office.  In  a  long 
friendly  letter  to  Jones  he  gave  his  reasons  for 
the  nomination ;  and  yet  he  was  free  to  acknowl 
edge  "that  no  person  in  the  mines  had  done 
more,  or  even  as  much,  in  that  section  of  the 
Territory,  to  deserve  the  appointment"  as  had 
Jones.17 

During  all  these  years  of  pioneering  at  Sin- 
sinawa  Mound,  this  region  had  been  under  the 
jurisdiction  and  a  part  of  the  Territory  of  Mich 
igan;  and  during  this  time  there  had  been 
frequent  attempts  to  bring  about  a  division, 
creating  a  new  Territorial  government  west  of 
the  lake.18  Various  causes  had  led  to  the  frus 
tration  of  these  attempts.  The  desire  on  the 
part  of  the  inhabitants  of  Michigan  Territory 
east  of  the  lake  to  form  a  State  government 
proved  more  effective  in  hastening  such  division 
than  did  efforts  from  the  west  side.  In  May, 
1835,  delegates  duly  elected  from  the  eastern 
counties  met  at  Detroit  and  drew  up  a  constitu 
tion  for  the  State  of  Michigan,  which  instrument 
was  adopted  by  the  people  in  October  of  the 
same  year.19 

Although  Michigan  was  not  formally  admit 
ted  to  the  Union  until  January,  1837,  yet  the 


FORMATIVE  PERIOD  13 

creation  of  a  State  organization  east  of  the  lake 
in  1835  left  the  governmental  powers  of  the  Ter 
ritory  of  Michigan  vested  in  the  inhabitants 
west  of  the  lake;  and  among  the  powers  to  be 
exercised  by  them  was  the  election  of  a  Terri 
torial  Delegate.  The  date  for  this  election  was 
finally  set  for  the  first  Monday  in  October,  1835. 
Candidates  sprang  up  like  mushrooms. 
James  D.  Doty  of  Green  Bay  was  nominated  by 
a  Democratic  meeting  in  June.  Not  long  after, 
Morgan  L.  Martin  of  the  same  city  accepted  a 
call  from  the  citizens  of  Brown  County  to  be 
come  a  Democratic  candidate  for  the  same  office. 
William  Woodbridge  of  Detroit  was  nominated 
by  a  small  number  of  citizens  east  of  the  lake 
who  contended  that  the  organization  of  a  State 
government  was  as  yet  of  no  effect  and  that  they 
were  still  a  part  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan. 
The  candidacy  of  David  Irvin  was  also  an 
nounced.  At  Mineral  Point,  meanwhile,  as  early 
as  the  23d  of  May,  a  meeting  of  citizens  of  Iowa 
County,  which  included  the  principal  lead  min 
ing  settlements,  placed  in  nomination  George 
W.  Jones.  This  nomination  was  subsequently 
ratified  by  a  large  meeting  in  Dubuque.20  The 
meeting  which  nominated  Jones  made  no  pro 
fessions  of  partisanship,  and  their  candidate 
entered  the  field  without  strict  party  label.  The 
outcome  of  this  many  sided  contest  was  the 
election  of  George  W.  Jones. 


II 

TERRITORIAL  OFFICE 

WHEN  the  first  session  of  the  Twenty-fourth 
Congress  convened  early  in  December,  1835, 
George  W.  Jones  was  on  hand  and  took  his  seat 
as  Delegate  from  the  Territory  of  Michigan 
without  question  or  contest.21  He  found  quar 
ters  at  the  boarding  house  of  Mrs.  Pittman  on 
Third  Street,  where  he  came  into  close  relations 
with  Lucius  Lyon,  United  States  Senator  from 
the  organized,  but  not  yet  formally  recognized, 
State  of  Michigan.22 

In  the  meantime  the  Territory  of  Michigan 
had  been  having  vexatious  times  trying  to  con 
duct  its  affairs  at  home.  When  the  State  gov 
ernment  was  organized  and  Stevens  T.  Mason 
chosen  as  Governor,  the  President  appointed 
John  S.  Horner  Secretary  of  the  Territory  of 
Michigan  and  ex  officio  Acting  Governor.  The 
peculiar  situation  of  affairs  demanded  a  man  of 
tact,  good  judgment,  and  initiative.  Horner 
was  woefully  lacking  in  all  these  essentials; 
while  good  intentions  and  a  vacillating  mind 
only  prepared  him  to  play  the  role  of  a  political 
blunderer. 

By  proclamation  of  Acting  Governor  Mason 

14 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  15 

the  next  legislature  of  the  Territory  had  been 
scheduled  to  meet  at  Green  Bay  on  January  1, 
1836.  The  Acting  Governor,  however,  by  a 
proclamation  issued  November  9th,  changed  the 
date  of  convening  to  December  1,  1835.  With 
the  methods  of  communication  then  in  vogue  the 
members  very  naturally  failed  to  receive  notice 
in  time  to  attend.  Not  a  member  appeared  upon 
the  day  appointed;  nor  was  Secretary  Horner 
himself  there.  A  communication,  dated  at  De 
troit,  December  14th,  and  seeming  to  be  author 
ized  by  Horner,  appeared  in  a  Green  Bay  news 
paper.  It  explained  that  no  returns  from  west 
of  the  lake  had  as  yet  been  received  at  Detroit 
and  that  upon  a  vote  of  730  in  the  Peninsula,  as 
the  country  east  of  the  lake  was  called,  William 
Woodbridge  had  claimed  a  certificate  of  elec 
tion  as  Delegate.  This  Horner  had  refused  and 
was  awaiting  the  unaccountably  delayed  returns 
which  he  knew  would  give  Jones  the  election.  It 
was  therefore  necessary  for  him  to  remain  at 
Detroit  to  insure  the  certification  of  Jones  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment,  deeming  the  represen 
tation  in  Congress  of  far  greater  importance 
than  a  session  of  the  Territorial  legislature.23 
A  letter  from  Lucius  Lyon  to  Horner  discloses 
the  fact  that  the  latter  had  written  to  Lyon  in 
dire  distress  to  know  what  he  should  do  —  go  to 
Green  Bay  where  the  legislature  was  to  meet  or 
stay  at  Detroit  where  the  laws  of  Congress  re- 


16      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

quired  him  to  make  his  residence.  He  was  fear 
ful  because  friends  had  written  him  that  the 
President  would  expect  him  to  remain  in  De 
troit.  Lyon  consulted  the  President  and  told 
Homer  of  Jackson's  reply  that  " Whoever 
wrote  so  wrote  a  falsehood"  and  that  Horner 
was  to  use  his  own  discretion.24  Considering 
Homer's  utter  deficiency  in  the  quality  of  dis 
cretion,  this  injunction  was  of  little  value.  Late 
in  December  he  received  returns  which  war 
ranted  issuing  a  certificate  of  election  to  Jones 
and  on  December  31,  1835,  Henry  H.  Brown 
wrote  to  Jones,  enclosing  the  certificate  and 
stating  that  Horner  had  been  sick  for  several 
days  and  unable  to  attend  to  his  duties.25 

On  the  next  day,  New  Year's  Day,  over  at 
Green  Bay  the  Territorial  legislature  of  Michi 
gan  actually  met.  Horner,  being  sick,  was  of 
course  not  there.  The  members  were  furious. 
Unable  to  take  action  without  him,  further  than 
to  adopt  resolutions  and  memorials,  the  Council 
sat  for  two  weeks  and  then  adjourned.  Among 
their  resolutions  was  one  including  an  arraign 
ment  of  Horner  and  a  request  that  President 
Jackson  remove  the  offending  Secretary  from 
office.26  Four  days  after  this  resolution  was 
passed,  Horner  wrote  from  Detroit  to  Jones: 
' i  I  am  very  lonesome  &  news  hungry  and  should 
be  obliged  to  you  if  you  would  inform  me  of 
what  is  going  on.  Will  Michigan  be  admitted 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  17 

this  winter?  Is  it  necessary  in  your  opinion  for 
me  to  convene  the  Council  at  Green  Bay  this 
winter  or  spring?"27  Jackson  did  not  remove 
Horner,  who  floated  about  inconsequentially 
among  political  offices  for  some  years. 

Another  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  Coun 
cil  in  January,  18.'>(),  which  was  of  real  import. 
It  was  one  urging  upon  Congress  the  passage  of 
a  law  establishing  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin 
and  expressing  the  wish  that  Cassville  on  the 
bank  of  the  Mississippi  be  made  the  seat  of  gov 
ernment.-8  The  passage  of  a  bill  establishing 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  was  an  accomplish 
ment  toward  which  Jones  was  bending  every  ef 
fort;  and  in  accordance  with  the  expressed  wish 
of  his  constituents  he  agreed  to  have  inserted  in 
the  bill  a  clause  fixing  the  seat  of  government 
at  Cassville.-"  But  this  place  proved  to  be  an 
unpopular  choice;,  and  so  Jones  was  the  recipient 
of  letters  and  remonstrances  from  all  over  the 
proposed  Territory.  Indeed,  so  strong  a  case 
was  made  against  Cassville  that  Jones  —  mind 
ful,  as  well,  of  his  election  pledge  that  the  peo 
ple  should  have  a  voice  in  the  location  as  far  as 
he  could  aid  them  —  decided  not  to  move  an 
amendment  to  the  bill  but  to  leave  the  location 
to  the  will  of  the  people  or  their  representatives 
after  organization  had  been  effected.30 

The  resolution  of  the  Council  looking  toward 
the  establishment  of  a  new  Territory  was  pre- 


18      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

sented  in  Congress  by  Jones  on  the  7th  of  Jan 
uary,31  and  two  weeks  later  John  M.  Clayton  of 
Delaware  introduced  a  bill  in  the  Senate  pro 
viding  for  the  establishment  of  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin.32  Although  Michigan  had  not  yet 
been  admitted  as  a  State,  a  de  facto  State  gov 
ernment  was  in  operation,  and  consequently 
Congress  was  not  disposed  to  resist  the  creation 
of  a  government  adequate  to  the  needs  of  the 
people  west  of  the  lake.  On  March  29,  1836,  the 
bill  passed  the  Senate.  In  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives  it  appears  that  Jones  set  himself  to 
the  task  of  bringing  about  early  action.  He  com 
mented  on  the  long  neglect  of  the  frontier 
country  and  urged  the  immediate  necessity  of 
bringing  it  within  the  pale  of  judicial  tribunals 
and  of  placing  it  under  the  charge  of  a  Governor 
who  could  organize  the  militia  and  protect  the  in 
habitants  from  the  horrors  of  Indian  warfare.33 
Several  minor  amendments  were  made  and 
agreed  to  by  the  Senate.  Finally,  on  April  20, 
1836,  three  weeks  after  the  bill  had  been  intro 
duced  in  the  House,  it  received  the  approval  of 
the  President  and  became  a  law. 

In  those  days  the  Delegate  from  a  Territory 
was  half  Congressman  and  half  lobbyist.  He 
had  the  privilege  of  presenting  legislation  and 
of  debating  questions,  but  he  had  no  vote.  Much 
had  to  be  accomplished  by  personal  influence. 
Jones  was  resourceful  and  persistent,  pleasing 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  19 

and  persuasive  in  his  personality,  and  able  in 
his  presentation  of  the  needs  of  his  constituents. 
The  resolutions,  petitions,  and  memorials  pre 
sented  to  the  House  by  Jones  show  clearly  what 
these  needs  were.  Post  roads  and  military 
roads  must  be  opened  up,  rivers  and  harbors 
needed  improvement,  Indian  treaties  were  neces 
sary  for  the  protection  of  the  citizens,  and  lands 
must  be  surveyed  and  sold.  In  the  furthering 
of  all  these  objects  Jones  was  very  active. 

Altogether  the  service  of  George  W.  Jones 
as  Delegate  from  the  Territory  of  Michigan  was 
as  efficacious  as  it  was  satisfactory  to  his  con 
stituents.  He  had  represented  them  faithfully 
and  had  secured  for  them  the  one  thing  most 
desired  —  an  adequate  form  of  Territorial  gov 
ernment.  The  Territory  of  Wisconsin  came  into 
political  being  on  July  4,  1836,  and  while  Jones 
was  still  at  Washington  the  new  officers  were 
named.  He  had  the  pleasure  of  influencing 
Jackson  to  appoint  Henry  Dodge  as  Governor, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  citizens  of  Wis 
consin.  He  gives  an  entertaining  account,  in  his 
autobiography,  of  the  part  he  played  in  Dodge's 
appointment  and  in  the  nomination  of  other  of 
ficers  for  the  Territory.34 

With  the  change  in  government  it  was  in 
cumbent  upon  the  people  of  the  new  Territory 
to  choose  a  Delegate  to  represent  them  in  Con 
gress,  despite  the  fact  that  Jones  had  served 


20      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

but  one  of  his  two  years  as  Delegate  from  the 
Territory  of  Michigan.  In  September,  1836,  a 
meeting  at  Belmont  in  Iowa  County  expressed 
approval  of  the  record  of  Jones  and  placed  him 
in  nomination  for  the  new  office  of  Delegate. 
But  at  this  time  there  were  two  towns  in  Iowa 
County  which  were  fighting  for  supremacy  - 
Belmont  and  Mineral  Point.  Each  town  aspired 
to  be  named  as  the  seat  of  government  of  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin,  and  the  feeling  between 
the  towns  was  intensified  by  the  f  oreshadowings 
of  a  division  of  the  county  and  the  ensuing  loca 
tion  of  county  seats.  And  so,  a  short  time  after 
the  meeting  at  Belmont,  a  rival  meeting  was 
held  at  Mineral  Point.  The  adherents  of  this 
town,  charging  Jones  with  being  interested  in 
the  selection  of  Belmont  as  the  Territorial  cap 
ital,  proceeded  to  announce  as  their  candidate 
for  Delegate,  Moses  Meeker,  an  early  settler  in 
the  lead  mining  regions.  It  appears  also  that 
at  these  two  meetings  separate  sets  of  nomina 
tions  were  made  for  the  seats  in  the  first 
Legislative  Assembly.35  The  outcome  of  the 
election  of  Delegate  was  a  sweeping  victory  for 
Jones  by  a  vote  of  3,522  to  696,  although  in  his 
own  county,  Meeker  defeated  him  by  a  vote  of 
617  to  612.  Thus,  outside  of  Iowa  County  the 
election  of  Jones  was  nearly  unanimous. 

Late  in  October  the  first  Territorial  legisla 
ture  met  at  Belmont.    Exciting  times  followed 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  21 

in  the  struggle  to  locate  the  seat  of  government 
of  the  Territory,  which  was  largely  a  matter  of 
speculation  and  a  contest  between  private  inter 
ests.  Nearly  a  score  of  places  were  discussed, 
many  of  them  being  simply  tracts  of  unim 
proved  prairie  laid  out  in  town  plats  and 
endowed  with  great  possibilities  by  their  hope 
ful  and  enthusiastic  owners. 

Among  these  towns  without  houses  or  inhab 
itants  was  Madison;  and  it  appears  that 
James  Duane  Doty,  the  defeated  candidate  for 
Delegate  in  1835,  was  the  man  most  largely 
interested  in  this  town  between  the  lakes.  As 
early  as  June,  1836,  he  wrote  to  Delegate  Jones 
that  he  and  Governor  Stevens  T.  Mason  had 
secured  the  title  to  the  land,  "for  the  object 
which  I  mentioned  to  you";36  and  he  outlined 
the  plan  upon  which  he  intended  to  proceed. 
It  was  to  vest  the  title  in  trustees  for  the  benefit 
of  the  stockholders  of  a  company.  He  had  in 
mind  a  select  list  of  men  to  whom  stock  would 
be  sold  —  among  them  being  George  W.  Jones, 
Henry  Dodge  or  his  son  Augustus  C.  Dodge, 
William  S.  Hamilton,  Thomas  P.  Burnett,  and 
Morgan  L.  Martin.  He  wished  Jones  to  be  one 
of  the  trustees,  and  commented:  "I  think  it  is 
obvious  we  can  make  something  handsome  out 
of  this' >.37 

It  seems  probable  that  Jones  did  not  accept 
the  trusteeship  although  he  did  agree  to  be- 


22      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

come  one  of  the  proprietors.  On  the  day  before 
Christmas,  1836,  after  the  legislature  had  cho 
sen  Madison  as  the  seat  of  government,  Doty 
wrote  again  to  Jones:  " Agreeably  to  your  re 
quest  I  subscribed  your  name  to  the  Articles  of 
Association  of  the  Proprietors  of  that  town 
[Madison]  for  one  share  which  is  l-24th  and  I 
rec'd  thro'  Mr.  A.  C.  Dodge  (who  is  also  a  pro 
prietor)  the  amt.  due  to  wit  $100.  "38 

Doty  was  very  busy  at  Belmont  when  the 
legislature  was  in  session,  and  his  efforts  were 
successful.  But  the  choice  of  Madison  was  not 
altogether  popular  in  the  Territory,  and  there 
were  many  accusations  to  the  effect  that  lots  in 
the  new  town  and  other  considerations  had  been 
freely  distributed  in  order  to  accomplish  the 
result  desired.  How  much  the  joint  proprietors 
knew  of  the  tactics  employed  by  the  manager 
of  the  speculation  is  conjectural.  Their  part  in 
the  proceeds,  however,  can  be  judged  by  a  letter 
from  Doty  in  February,  1837,  telling  Jones  that 
"the  dividend  on  the  1st  of  Jany  on  amt.  of 
sales  to  that  time  was  $170  per  share."39 

There  was  excellent  opportunity  to  make 
money  in  land  speculations  in  this  pioneer  coun 
try,  and  it  is  evident  that  Jones  was  fully  alive 
to  the  situation.  He  had  been  a  resident  of  the 
frontier  all  his  life  and  he  knew  western  land 
conditions  intimately.  In  1836  he  and  Daniel 
Webster  together  began  a  series  of  land  negoti- 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  23 

ations  that  extended  through  several  years. 
Jones  made  the  selections  of  property  and  in 
vested  Webster's  as  well  as  his  own  funds. 
Their  deals  were  for  the  most  part  profitable, 
and  as  a  consequence  Jones  at  one  time  acquired 
a  considerable  amount  of  property. 

At  the  opening  of  the  session  of  1836-1837 
Jones  took  his  seat  in  Congress  as  Delegate 
from  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  It  was  a 
short  session  and  was  not  a  momentous  one  for 
Delegate  Jones.  But  the  long  session  of  the 
winter  following  was  one  he  never  forgot.  Two 
events  of  this  session  brought  him  prestige  and 
great  popularity  among  his  constituents.  A 
third  event  made  him  a  national  figure  but  sent 
him  back  to  private  life  at  the  next  Territorial 
election.  He  had  been  enthused  by  John 
Plumbe,  Jr.,  in  the  project  of  a  railroad  from 
Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mississippi  Eiver  and  be 
yond,  and  he  achieved  a  genuine  triumph  when 
he  secured,  in  1838,  an  appropriation  of  $2,000 
for  the  survey  of  a  route  for  a  railroad  from 
Milwaukee  to  the  Mississippi  Eiver  at  Du- 
buque.40  Far  more  widespread,  however,  was 
the  appreciation  of  his  success  in  bringing 
about  the  division  of  Wisconsin  Territory  and 
the  establishment  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa. 

The  Territory  of  Wisconsin  contained,  in 
1838,  approximately  fifty  thousand  souls.  Over 
half  of  this  number  were  on  the  far  side  of  the 


24      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Mississippi  Eiver.  These  Trans-Mississippi  in 
habitants,  moreover,  made  it  very  clear  to  Jones 
that  they  were  in  favor  of  the  establishment  of 
a  new  Territory;  and  Jones  energetically  set 
about  bringing  this  result  to  pass.  He  was  not 
an  orator,  and  throughout  his  entire  Congres 
sional  career  he  relied  very  little  upon  speeches 
to  further  his  legislation.  He  depended  upon 
personal  influence  in  securing  attention  to  his 
bills,  and  upon  unflagging  zeal  and  tactical  skill 
in  pushing  them  through  the  intermediary 
stages  to  a  final  favorable  vote. 

The  bill  providing  for  the  establishment  of 
the  Territory  of  Iowa  encountered  strong  op 
position.  One  member  wished  to  wait  until 
Wisconsin  became  a  State;41  another  attacked 
the  character  of  the  "  squatters  upon  public  do 
main";  while  still  others  complained  that  it 
would  drain  the  older  States  of  population, 
that  it  would  encourage  speculation,  and  that 
it  would  jeopardize  the  balance  between  free 
and  slave  States.42  Despite  these  objections  the 
bill  came  to  a  favorable  vote  in  both  houses, 
and  was  signed  by  the  President  on  June  12, 
1838. 

Meanwhile,  on  an  afternoon  in  February,  out 
near  the  boundary  line  of  the  District  of  Co 
lumbia,  four  members  of  the  lower  house  of 
Congress  were  engaging  in  a  function  which 
was  far  from  legislative.  As  a  result  of  a  chal- 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  25 

lenge  for  the  satisfaction  of  honor,  Mr.  Graves 
of  Kentucky  and  Mr.  Cilley  of  Maine,  stood 
some  eighty  yards  apart  and  fired  upon  each 
other  with  rifles.  The  third  exchange  of  shots 
was  fatal  to  Cilley  who  died  in  the  arms  of  his 
second,  George  W.  Jones.  Henry  A.  Wise  of 
Virginia  was  the  second  of  Mr.  Graves.  Jones 
had  been  drawn  into  the  affair  against  his  bet 
ter  judgment  and  with  more  or  less  of  a  realiza 
tion  of  the  evils,  political  and  otherwise, 
which  it  would  bring  down  upon  him.  His 
main  objection  seems  to  have  been  that  it  would 
definitely  ally  him  with  the  Democratic  party; 
whereas  he  preferred  to  steer  a  neutral  course, 
thinking  he  could  in  that  way  procure  more 
legislation  for  his  constituents.43  It  is  not  prob 
able  that  Jones  had  any  very  strong  principles 
at  this  time  against  the  practice  of  duelling. 
He  had  spent  his  entire  life  in  regions  where 
the  resort  to  personal  encounter  was  of  fre 
quent  occurrence,  and  by  one  writer  he  is 
credited  with  having  been  himself  a  party  to 
seven  affairs  of  honor.44 

The  death  of  Cilley  created  a  profound  sen 
sation  in  the  country.  Petitions  poured  into  the 
House  asking  for  the  expulsion  of  Mr.  Graves 
and  of  the  two  seconds,  Wise  and  Jones.  The 
House  appointed  an  investigating  committee 
which  brought  in  a  report  recommending  the 
expulsion  of  Graves  and  the  censure  of  the 


26      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

other  participants  in  the  affair.45  After  much 
discussion  the  session  closed  without  definite 
action  being  taken  upon  the  report.  In  the  Sen 
ate  a  bill  was  passed  prohibiting  the  giving  or 
accepting,  within  the  District  of  Columbia,  of  a 
challenge  to  a  duel;  but  this  bill  did  not  pass 
the  House. 

In  anticipation  of  the  passage  of  the  law 
establishing  the  new  Territory  of  Iowa,  specu 
lation  became  rife  as  to  the  appointment  of 
Governor.  As  early  as  April  20,  1838,  a 
meeting  of  citizens  of  Dubuque  formally  recom 
mended  George  W.  Jones  for  the  position. 
Numerous  petitions  to  the  same  effect  were  sent 
to  Washington  from  west  of  the  river,  and  at 
the  national  seat  of  government  a  petition 
signed  by  members  of  the  United  States  Senate 
and  one  by  the  colleagues  of  Jones  in  the  lower 
house  prayed  for  his  appointment.  Lewis  F. 
Linn,  James  Buchanan,  and  others  also  wrote 
to  President  Van  Buren  for  the  same  purpose.46 
Jones,  however,  definitely  announced  himself  as 
a  candidate  for  reelection  to  the  Delegacy  of 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin;  and  early  in  July 
Eobert  Lucas  was  appointed  to  the  Governor 
ship  of  the  new  Territory  of  Iowa. 

Congress  having  adjourned  in  July,  Jones  re 
turned  to  Wisconsin  and  began  a  vigorous 
campaign.  The  opposing  candidates  for  Dele 
gate  were  James  D.  Doty  (who  had  written 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  27 

Jones  six  months  before  that  he  was  off  the 
political  stage  and  meant  to  stay  off)47  and 
Thomas  P.  Burnett.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin,  which  was  peopled 
largely  by  settlers  from  New  England  and  the 
eastern  States,  the  connection  of  Jones  with  the 
duel  lost  him  many  votes.  These  votes  went 
largely  to  Doty.  In  the  western  part  of  the 
Territory,  the  presence  of  Burnett  as  a  candi 
date  cut  down  the  Jones  vote  sufficiently  to  elect 
Doty.  Burnett  received  less  than  one  thousand 
votes  in  all,  but  they  were  votes  which  would 
probably  otherwise  have  been  cast  for  Jones 
rather  than  for  Doty.48  Thus  at  the  polls  in 
September,  1838,  James  D.  Doty  was  elected  to 
succeed  Jones. 

It  must  have  been  no  small  disappointment  to 
George  W.  Jones  to  have  thus  slipped  through 
between  the  two  offices.  Two  months  later 
Congress  convened.  Practically  all  of  his  col 
leagues  in  the  House  were  there,  for  it  was  the 
last  session  of  the  Congress.  And  much  to  the 
discomfiture  of  James  D.  Doty,  Jones  went 
down  to  Washington  and  took  his  seat  once 
more  as  Delegate  from  Wisconsin.  He  had,  to 
be  sure,  served  for  two  regular  sessions  since  his 
election  in  1836  as  Delegate  from  the  Territory 
of  Wisconsin.  But  he  based  his  reappearance 
at  this  session  on  the  contention  that  he  had 
been  elected  for  a  Congress  rather  than  for  two 


28      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

sessions.  Furthermore,  he  had  been  elected  in 
1835  for  a  term  of  two  years  as  Delegate  from 
the  Territory  of  Michigan.  This  term  of  office 
naturally  extended  over  the  Twenty-fourth 
Congress  (1835-1837).  The  Territory  of  Wis 
consin  having  been  established  at  the  end  of  one 
year,  a  new  election  was  necessary,  in  which 
Jones  was  chosen  Delegate  for  the  new  Terri 
tory.  He  now  claimed  that  the  incumbency 
under  this  last  election  did  not  begin  until 
March  4,  1837,  and  that  his  occupancy  of  a  seat 
in  the  session  of  1836-1837  was  in  accordance 
with  his  election  of  1835  as  Delegate  from  the 
Territory  of  Michigan  and  in  fulfillment  of  the 
second  year  of  service  under  such  election.  The 
fact  that  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  had  been 
established  did  not,  he  claimed,  foreclose  the 
existence  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan,  which 
survived  until  the  State  of  Michigan  was  ad 
mitted  by  Congress. 

Jones  secured  the  opinion  of  attorneys  upon 
the  case  along  the  lines  thus  indicated.49  In 
their  opinion,  however,  the  admission  of  the 
State  of  Michigan  in  January,  1837,  did  put  an 
end  to  the  existence  of  the  Territory  of  Michi 
gan  and  likewise  put  an  end  to  the  career  of 
Jones  as  Delegate  from  that  Territory.  More 
over,  since,  under  their  construction  of  the  case, 
the  Delegateship  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin 
did  not  begin  until  March  4,  1837,  Jones  ceased 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  29 

to  be  a  Delegate  from  any  Territory  for  a  pe 
riod  of  several  weeks  between  January  and 
March.  His  term  as  Delegate  from  Wisconsin 
beginning,  under  this  hypothesis,  on  March  4, 
1837,  would  not  close  until  the  end  of  the 
Twenty-fifth  Congress,  or  on  March  4,  1839; 
and  he  was  therefore  entitled  to  his  seat  for  the 
second  regular  session,  while  his  successor, 
Doty,  elected  in  1838,  would  begin  service 
March  4,  1839,  as  did  the  Representatives  from 
all  the  States,  and  serve  through  the  26th  Con 
gress. 

It  was  an  ingenious  argument  and  having  as 
its  basis  a  law  of  Congress  providing  that  Dele 
gates  from  all  Territories  should  serve  for  "the 
same  term  of  two  years  for  which  members  of 
the  house  of  representatives  of  the  United 
States  are  elected",  the  claim  had  sufficient 
basis  for  a  lawyer's  discussion.50 

There  were,  however,  inherent  weaknesses  in 
the  case.  In  the  first  place,  following  his 
course  of  reasoning,  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
though  established  and  in  full  operation  under 
the  laws  of  the  United  States,  would  yet  be  de 
prived  of  a  Delegate  in  the  session  of  Congress 
ending  March  4,  1837.  Furthermore,  if  Jones 
accepted  the  position  of  his  own  lawyers  he  must 
admit  himself  to  have  held  an  office  illegally 
between  January  26,  1837,  and  March  4,  1837, 
and  logically  should  refund  pay  for  that  time. 


30      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

And  lastly,  the  force  of  his  contention  was 
sadly  weakened  by  the  fact  that  in  December, 
1836,  he  presented  the  certificate  of  election 
given  him  by  Governor  Dodge  of  the  Territory 
of  Wisconsin,  took  his  seat  as  Delegate  from 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  and  acted  as  such 
throughout  the  session  with  no  pretence  what 
ever  of  serving  the  vague  and  anomalous 
remnant  east  of  the  lake  laying  claim  to  the  title 
of  Territory  of  Michigan. 

Scarcely  had  the  members  of  the  House  set 
tled  down  after  the  opening  roll  call  when  Isaac 
Crary  of  Michigan  announced  that  Mr.  Doty 
was  in  attendance  and  moved  that  he  be  quali 
fied.  Whereupon  Jones  protested  against 
Doty's  being  given  a  seat  in  violation  of  his 
own  right  as  sitting  member,  no  vacancy  having 
occurred  and  he  having  never  resigned.  Mr. 
Doty's  certificate  was  read  and  the  considera 
tion  of  the  question  then  postponed.  The 
matter  went  to  the  Committee  on  Elections, 
from  which  James  Buchanan  reported  on  De 
cember  21st  in  favor  of  Doty's  claim  to  the 
seat.51  On  January  3,  1839,  the  House  passed, 
by  a  vote  of  165  to  25,  the  resolutions  proposed 
by  the  committee  in  favor  of  Doty's  right  to  the 
seat. 

Meanwhile  Jones  had  been  performing  the 
duties  of  the  Delegate,  presenting  petitions  and 
resolutions  and  furthering  legislation  of  benefit 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  31 

to  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  And  on  the 
20th  of  December  he  received  a  check  for  his 
mileage  and  pay  up  to  that  date.  After  the  vote 
of  the  house  in  favor  of  Doty,  Joshua  R.  Gid- 
dings  of  Ohio  served  notice  upon  Jones  by 
letter  that  a  resolution  would  be  presented 
denying  him  the  right  to  this  payment.  There 
upon  Jones  returned  uncashed  to  the  Speaker 
of  the  House  the  original  check,  pending  the 
decision  upon  his  right  to  receive  it.  On  Jan 
uary  5th,  a  resolution  was  introduced  declaring 
Jones  not  entitled  to  receive  mileage  and  pay. 
After  provoking  a  long  debate,  in  which  Jones 
was  ably  defended,  the  resolution  was  nega 
tived  by  a  vote  of  89  to  96.52  So  he  was  granted 
his  compensation  and  gave  up  his  seat,  after  a 
month  of  service,  to  Delegate  Doty. 

Jones  now  returned  to  Sinsinawa  Mound  and 
busied  himself  with  private  interests.  He 
owned  at  this  time  considerable  land  directly 
opposite  Dubuque,  and  also  a  ferry  plying  be 
tween  this  land  and  Dubuque  with  ferry 
privileges  only  on  the  east  side.53  In  the  ses 
sion  of  1839-1840  he  was  granted  by  the 
Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa 
the  right  to  establish  a  ferry  on  the  Dubuque 
side  also.54 

In  January,  1840,  Jones  was  appointed 
Surveyor  General  for  the  land  district  of  Iowa 
and  Wisconsin.  His  term  of  office  was  for  four 


32      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

years,  beginning  April  1,  1840.55  On  March 
16th  he  leased  the  ferry  for  a  year  to  Thomas 
McCraney  and  took  up  his  new  duties.56  His 
long  acquaintance  with  the  western  frontier  and 
with  land  conditions  in  this  region  fitted  him 
admirably  for  this  work.  But  his  tenure  of 
office  was  short.  William  Henry  Harrison  be 
came  President  in  March,  1841,  and  Jones  as  a 
Democrat  was  removed.  The  office  of  Surveyor 
General  was  located  at  Dubuque  and  it  is  prob 
able  that  during  this  short  time  Jones  lived  in 
that  city,  though  he  may  not  have  moved  his 
home  and  family  across  the  river  from  Sinsin- 
awa  Mound.  At  all  events  he  became  more 
closely  than  ever  in  touch  with  the  people  of 
Dubuque,  with  whom  for  nearly  half  a  century 
he  was  to  live. 

With  the  passing  of  the  political  office  Jones 
appears  to  have  gone  back  to  smelting  opera 
tions  at  Sinsinawa  Mound.  During  the  winter 
of  1842-1843,  he  visited  Washington  at  the  re 
quest  of  the  citizens  of  Dubuque  to  protest 
against  the  removal  of  the  land  office  from  that 
town.  It  was  a  mission  well  suited  to  his  abili 
ties.  Being  a  shrewd  lobbyist  and  having  many 
friends  he  was  successful  in  securing  the  con 
tinuance  of  the  Dubuque  office.57 

Jones  was  a  loyal  friend,  and  it  appears  that 
the  men  whom  he  befriended  often  found  oc 
casion  to  return  his  favors.  Judge  Dunn  of  the 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  33 

Supreme  Court  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
who  had  secured  his  seat  upon  the  nomination 
of  Jones,  offered  him  in  1843  the  position  of 
Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court.58  Jones  was  glad 
to  accept  this  position,  and  with  little  delay  he 
left  his  early  home  at  Sinsinawa  Mound  and 
moved  with  his  family  to  Mineral  Point.  But  it 
was  only  in  the  period  of  political  adversity 
that  he  thus  occupied  himself.  In  the  fall  of 
1844  James  K.  Polk  was  elected  President  of 
the  United  States,  and  the  Democrats  of  the 
nation  again  came  into  sunshiny  days.  The 
election  was  celebrated  at  Mineral  Point  with  a 
great  procession,  speeches,  and  festivities  - 
marshalled,  we  are  told,  by  George  W.  Jones.59 
When  the  new  President  took  office  he  gave 
back  to  Jones  the  position  he  had  lost  four 
years  before  —  that  of  Surveyor  General. 
Thereupon  Jones  moved  his  household  goods 
for  the  last  time,  took  up  his  abode  in  Dubuque, 
and  became  definitely  and  finally  a  citizen  of 
Iowa.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Mexican  War  he 
offered  his  services  to  Governor  Clarke,  but 
they  were  not  needed.00  For  nearly  four  years 
he  negotiated  the  affairs  of  the  Surveyor  Gen- 
eraPs  Office  at  Dubuque,  letting  contracts  for 
surveying  and  becoming  more  and  more  a  part 
of  the  political  life  of  the  Commonwealth  as  it 
passed  from  its  Territorial  dependence  into  the 
freedom  and  responsibility  of  Statehood. 


34      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Upon  the  admission  of  Iowa  into  the  Union 
in  1846,  the  legislators  of  the  new  State  eagerly 
bestirred  themselves  to  choose  United  States 
Senators.  And  for  two  long  years  they  strug 
gled  in  vain  to  come  to  an  agreement.  The 
story  of  these  years  of  bickerings  and  bribery, 
of  fickle  reversals  of  tactics  and  constant  dis 
regard  of  the  public  interest  has  been  often  and 
ably  told.61  It  was  not  until  the  last  chapter  of 
the  story  that  Jones  became  a  candidate. 
Throughout  the  sessions  of  1846  and  1847 
Augustus  Caesar  Dodge  of  Burlington  and 
Thomas  S.  Wilson  of  Dubuque  were  the  men 
most  prominently  named  by  the  Democrats.  In 
the  election  of  members  of  the  legislature  in 
1848  the  Democratic  party  secured  at  last  an 
easy  majority  in  both  houses  and  an  election  of 
two  Democrats  was  assured. 

In  the  fall  of  1848  Jones  definitely  became  a 
candidate  for  the  Senate,  influenced  to  this  step 
largely  by  the  knowledge  that  the  election  of 
Zachary  Taylor  as  a  Whig  President  of  the 
United  States  would  mean  his  removal  from  the 
office  of  Surveyor  General.  In  a  short,  bitter 
contest,  that  engendered  a  long  political  feud 
between  the  two  fellow  townsmen,  Jones  sup 
planted  Thomas  S.  Wilson  in  the  position  of 
favor;  and  in  the  caucus  of  Democrats  on  De 
cember  5,  1848,  was  placed  in  nomination  along 
with  his  stanch  friend,  Augustus  Caesar  Dodge. 


TERRITORIAL  OFFICE  35 

Since  nomination  was  tantamount  to  election 
the  occasion  seemed,  of  a  certain,  one  for  hilar 
ious  celebration.  Jones,  being  ever  a  jovial 
spirit,  came  forth  with  an  impulsive  invitation 
to  every  one  to  repair  to  a  place  of  refresh 
ment;  and  the  jubilee  that  followed,  amid  the 
rapid  disappearance  of  oysters  and  liquors,  was 
one  that  cost  Jones  and  the  somewhat  unen- 
thusiastic  Dodge  a  lively  bill  of  over  four 
hundred  dollars. 

On  the  seventh  of  December,  1848,  the  Gen 
eral  Assembly  in  joint  session  chose  Dodge  and 
Jones  as  the  first  United  States  Senators  from 
Iowa;  and  before  the  month  was  out  they  had 
reached  Washington  and  presented  their  cer 
tificates.  In  the  assignment  of  terms  Jones 
drew  the  long  term,  allowing  him  service  until 
March  4,  1853. 


Ill 

UNITED  STATES  SENATOR 

A  TALL,  erect  figure  fastidiously  dressed,  with 
an  abundance  of  tightly  curling  black  hair,  an 
engaging  smile,  and  the  manners  of  a  Lord 
Chesterfield  —  such  was  George  W.  Jones  when 
he  appeared  at  Washington  as  Senator  from 
Iowa.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a 
Southerner  in  instincts.  Ten  years  had  elapsed 
since  he  had  left  Congress,  yet  he  found  many 
friends  at  the  time  of  his  reappearance.  Henry 
Dodge  of  Wisconsin,  Benton  and  Atchison  of 
Missouri,  Daniel  Webster,  and  Jefferson  Davis, 
all  of  these  old  friends  were  now  members  of 
the  Senate.  Jones  and  his  colleague  were 
belated  in  their  arrival.  On  the  day  after 
Christmas  their  credentials  were  presented  and 
they  at  once  undertook  to  make  up  for  the  time 
their  State  had  lost. 

One  subject  near  to  the  heart  of  Jones  and 
his  constituents  was  that  of  railroads,  and  it 
was  less  than  ten  days  before  he  introduced  a 
bill  granting  to  the  State  of  Iowa  land  for  the 
purpose  of  aiding  in  the  construction  of  a  rail 
road  from  Dubuque  to  Keokuk.02  It  was  the 
beginning  of  a  long  and  persistent  fight  which 

36 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  37 

he  and  his  colleague,  Senator  Dodge,  waged  in 
behalf  of  a  railroad  grant  for  the  State  they 
represented.  The  bill  did  not  pass  the  Senate ; 
and  so  on  the  same  day  of  the  following  year, 
January  3,  1850,  Jones  introduced  a  similar 
measure  for  a  Dubuque  and  Keokuk  railroad 
grant.  When  reported  back  from  the  Com 
mittee  on  Public  Lands  it  was  joined  with 
another  bill,  introduced  by  Dodge,  proposing  a 
grant  of  land  for  a  railroad  from  Davenport  to 
the  Missouri  River.  On  this  combined  bill  there 
occurred  on  June  18,  1850,  a  brief  debate  led  by 
Senator  Jones  who  was  ably  assisted  by  A.  C. 
Dodge.03  On  the  day  following  the  bill  passed 
the  Senate,04  but  making  no  headway  in  the 
House  it  failed  of  passage. 

While  not  always  successful,  it  was  in  further 
ing  legislation  on  behalf  of  public  improvements 
that  Jones  now  proved,  as  he  had  proved  in  the 
days  of  his  Delegacy,  of  most  value  to  his  con 
stituents.  His  tact  and  personal  address  won 
him  many  votes  on  bills  that  would  otherwise 
have  been  lost  in  the  bottomless  pit  of  indiffer 
ence.  In  1849  he  was  made  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Pensions  and  in  this  post  he  was 
continued  throughout  his  service  as  Senator. 
He  was,  during  one  Congress,  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Engrossed  Bills,  and  for  the  re 
mainder  of  his  Senatorship  he  was  at  the  head 
of  the  Committee  on  Enrolled  Bills. 


38      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

In  the  session  of  1849  to  1850  Jones  secured  a 
modification  of  another  railroad  bill  which  was 
of  much  import  to  his  State  and  particularly  to 
the  town  of  Dubuque.  The  Illinois  delegation 
had  been  pushing  with  great  vigor  and  success 
a  bill  granting  lands  for  the  construction  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Eailroad.  By  the  terms  of  the 
bill,  one  branch  of  this  road  was  to  be  built 
westward  as  far  as  Galena,  connecting  that 
town  with  Chicago.  When  the  bill  was  before 
the  Senate,  Jones  proposed  an  amendment  by 
which  the  road  was  extended  "via  Galena,  Illi 
nois,  to  Dubuque,  Iowa".65  He  explained  that 
this  change  would  increase  the  distance  only 
some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  and  would  place  the 
western  terminus  on  the  Mississippi  Eiver  in 
stead  of  at  an  inland  town.  Jones  secured  the 
assent  of  Senators  Douglas  and  Shields  to  the 
amendment  before  presenting  it,  and  with  this 
modification  the  bill  passed.  Great  was  the  re 
joicing  of  Dubuque  over  securing  the  terminus, 
and  correspondingly  great  was  the  increase  in 
the  popularity  of  Jones.  But  on  the  other  side 
of  the  river,  Galena  found  her  hopes  for  the 
development  of  a  great  commercial  center  in 
danger  of  eclipse;  and  out  of  the  negotiation 
there  grew  in  later  years  a  bitter  controversy 
between  Jones  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas. 

The  most  important  legislation  of  a  national 
character  during  the  first  term  of  service  of 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  39 

Senator  Jones  was  without  doubt  the  series  of 
compromise  measures  of  1850.  These  laws  con 
stitute  a  determined  effort  to  put  a  quietus  to 
the  discussion  of  slavery  in  the  harassed 
country.  On  July  15,  1850,  George  W.  Jones 
presented  resolutions  from  two  Democratic  con 
ventions  which  had  been  held  in  the  State  of 
Iowa  during  the  preceding  month.66  These 
resolutions  took  strong  ground  in  favor  of  the 
compromise  measures,  and  Jones  in  presenting 
them  took  occasion  to  make  some  remarks  in  re 
gard  to  his  own  attitude  and  that  of  his  State. 
The  legislature  which  had  elected  him  and  his 
colleague  had  refused  emphatically,  he  said,  to 
instruct  them  to  vote  for  the  Wilmot  Proviso. 
The  resolutions  which  he  presented  bespoke  the 
present  attitude  of  the  Democratic  party.  And 
as  for  the  Whigs,  he  would  not  do  them  the 
injustice  of  supposing  that  any  respectable  por 
tion  of  them  were  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the 
resolutions  and  an  early  pacification  of  the 
councils  of  the  national  legislature  by  the  com 
promise  bill  of  the  Committee  of  Thirteen  or 
some  kindred  measures.  In  a  very  large  cor 
respondence,  he  had  not  received  from  his 
constituents  and  friends  one  letter  taking 
ground  against  the  compromise  bill.  As  firmly 
devoted  as  he  was  to  the  tenets  of  the  Demo 
cratic  party  and  as  widely  different  as  were 
those  tenets  from  the  principles  of  the  party  of 


40      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

which  Clay  was  the  founder  and  head,  yet  he 
would  unite  with  him  in  any  measure  which  had 
for  its  object  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union. 

His  own  attitude  he  frankly  expressed  as 
follows : 

A  native  of  a  free  State,  (Indiana,)  and  raised  part 
ly  in  slave  States,  I  have,  if  I  know  myself,  no 
prejudices  or  animosities  to  indulge  in  relation  to  the 
delicate  subject  of  slavery.  I  am  now,  as  I  have  ever 
been,  opposed  to  it ;  by  which  I  mean  that  in  any  State 
or  Territory  wiiere  that  question  is  to  be  decided,  were 
I  a  resident,  no  man  would  be  more  decided  in  his 
opposition  to  its  establishment  than  I  would  be.  My 
opinions,  my  observations,  and  my  feelings  are  against 
it ;  but  under  no  circumstances  will  I  consent  to  inter 
fere  with  it  where  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  my 
country  have  placed  it.  More  than  that:  I  will  not 
vote  for  insulting  enactments,  nor  lend  myself  to 
harass  or  excite  the  fears  of  those  amongst  whom  it 
exists.  Would  to  God  that  this  Congress  could  so 
elevate  itself  above  the  passions  and  prejudices  of  the 
day  as  forever  to  give  the  quietus  to  this  distracting 
question!  Sir,  I  believe  the  bill  now  before  us  will 
effect  that  object;  and  so  believing,  I  shall  record  my 
vote  for  it  with  unmixed  pleasure.67 

When  the  compromise  bills  came  up  for  final 
action  in  the  Senate  in  August  and  September 
the  vote  of  Senator  Jones  is  recorded  in  their 
favor  in  each  case  except  the  bill  to  establish 
the  Territories  of  Utah  and  New  Mexico.68  On 
this  question  his  name  does  not  appear,  nor  is  it 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  41 

to  be  found  on  the  only  other  vote  recorded  that 
day.09  It  is  probable  that  he  was  unavoidably 
absent,  as  he  would  have,  without  any  manner 
of  doubt,  voted  for  all  the  measures  had  he  been 
present. 

There  is  probably  no  question  but  that  Sena 
tors  Jones  and  Dodge  represented  the  majority 
of  their  constituents  in  their  action  in  1850. 
The  General  Assembly  of  the  State,  in  January, 
1851,  passed  resolutions  expressing  condemna 
tion  of  Seward's  avowal  of  a  law  higher  than 
the  Constitution  and  emphasizing  the  duty  of 
every  good  citizen  to  conform  to  and  carry  out 
in  good  faith  the  provisions  of  the  compromise 
measures.70  Nevertheless  the  decade  which  fol 
lowed  wrought  a  very  material  change  in  the 
public  sentiment  of  the  people  of  Iowa  on  the 
question  of  slavery  —  a  change  which  both 
Jones  and  Dodge  failed  to  recognize  or  heed. 

The  Senators  from  Iowa  had  made  no  effort 
to  push  their  land  bill  in  the  short  session  of 
the  Thirty-first  Congress;  but  on  the  second 
day  of  the  following  session,  December  2,  1851, 
Jones  introduced  in  the  Senate  practically  the 
same  bill  which  had  passed  that  body  two 
years  before  —  a  bill  granting  land  to  Iowa  in 
aid  of  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Du- 
buque  to  Keokuk  and  one  from  Davenport  to 
the  Missouri  River.  Again  the  efforts  of  Sena 
tors  Jones  and  Dodge  were  put  forth  with  the 


42      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

utmost  zeal  and  skill ;  again  the  Iowa  Land  Bill 
passed  the  Senate;  and  again  it  failed  in  the 
House  of  Representatives.71 

When  the  bill  had  been  reported  from  the 
Committee  on  Public  Lands,  of  which  Senator 
Dodge  was  a  member,  and  was  under  discussion 
before  the  Senate,  an  amendment  was  intro 
duced  by  Seward  of  New  York  which  provided 
that  the  proposed  railroad  system  instead  of 
consisting  of  a  line  from  Dubuque  to  Keokuk 
and  one  from  Davenport  to  Council  Bluffs, 
should  consist  of  one  line  from  Davenport  to 
Council  Bluffs  with  two  branches  from  Fort  Des 
Moines  running  eastward  to  Dubuque  and  Bur 
lington.72  Both  Dodge  and  Jones  made  strenu 
ous  objections  and  the  amendment  was  not 
passed.  Jones  stated  that  for  three  sessions  of 
Congress  the  State  of  Iowa  had  memorialized 
Congress  for  a  grant  of  land  for  a  railroad 
from  Dubuque  to  Keokuk  and  from  Davenport 
to  the  Missouri  Eiver.  It  would  be  entirely 
competent  for  the  State  legislature  and  the 
railroad  companies  to  make  the  line  as  pro 
posed  by  Senator  Seward,  if  they  deemed  it 
advisable ;  but  it  should  be  left  to  the  State  and 
not  Congress  to  designate  the  routes.  This 
amendment  would  of  course  cut  off  Keokuk 
from  connection  with  the  road  and  to  this  Jones 
objected,  particularly  since  one  of  the  objects 
had  been  to  get  past  the  rapids  in  the  Missis- 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  43 

sippi  which  were  situated  between  Burlington 
and  Keokuk.  He  added  that  if  the  bill  were  left 
as  it  was,  with  an  additional  provision  for  a 
grant  of  land  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a 
railroad  from  Fort  Des  Moines  to  Burlington, 
he  would  certainly  not  object,  since  the  legisla 
ture  of  Iowa  at  its  last  session  had  memorialized 
Congress  for  a  grant  of  land  to  aid  in  such  ad 
ditional  road.73 

In  the  lower  house  perhaps  the  strongest 
speech  against  the  bill  was  made  by  Thompson 
Campbell  of  Illinois.  His  home  was  at  Galena 
and  though  both  of  the  Iowa  Senators  had  given 
their  zealous  aid  to  the  Illinois  Land  Bill,  it  was 
evident  that  the  amendment  to  that  bill  carrying 
the  terminus  on  to  Dubuque  rankled  deeply  in 
his  soul.  In  the  course  of  his  remarks  he  in 
timated  that  the  support  of  the  Iowa  Senators 
was  secured  only  by  allowing  them  to  make 
Dubuque  the  terminus,  and  that  the  Illinois 
delegation  was  obliged  to  submit  rather  than 
have  the  bill  defeated. 

In  response  to  a  protest  from  Bernhart  Henn, 
a  Representative  from  Iowa,  Campbell  per 
sisted  that  he  had  understood  from  honorable 
men  that  the  extended  terminus  was  so  insisted 
upon.74  Jones,  filled  with  indignation,  pro 
ceeded  to  investigate  matters.  Campbell  named 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  as  the  source  of  his  under 
standing  of  facts.  Accordingly  Jones  repaired 


44      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

at  once  to  Douglas  and  with  hot  words  reminded 
him  that  neither  he  nor  his  colleague  Senator 
Shields  had  made  the  slightest  objection  to  the 
Jones  amendment.  The  dispute  was  smothered 
temporarily,  but  flamed  up  in  later  years  with 
still  greater  intensity.75 

The  term  for  which  Jones  had  been  elected 
was  to  expire  March  4,  1853,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1852  the  political  pot  was  being  stirred  in  the 
State  of  Iowa.  The  Whigs  in  the  General  As 
sembly  were  greatly  in  the  minority,  so  that  the 
contest  focused  itself  upon  a  choice  between 
Democrats.  The  opposition  to  Jones  was 
strong  and  bitter.  The  most  tangible  objection 
from  a  political  standpoint  that  was  brought 
against  him,  was  a  charge  of  partiality  toward 
certain  parts  of  the  State.  This  was  most  pro 
nounced  in  Des  Moines  County  because  of  the 
failure  of  Jones  to  include,  in  the  Iowa  Land 
Bill  of  1851-1852,  provision  for  aid  in  the  con 
struction  of  a  third  railroad  running  from 
Burlington  to  Fort  Des  Moines.76 

Personal  enmities  also  appear  to  have  entered 
into  the  contest.  Unpleasant  relations  between 
Jones  and  James  M.  Morgan,  editor  of  the 
Burlington  Daily  Telegraph,  partly  account  for 
the  vinclictiveness  with  which  the  latter  paper 
attacked  him.  In  his  own  town  of  Dubuque  a 
clique,  of  which  D.  A.  Mahoney  seems  to  have 
been  the  leader,  had  started  the  Dubuqiie  Her- 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  45 

aid  for  the  purpose,  it  was  said,  of  fighting 
Jones.  The  friends  of  Jones  prepared  and  pub 
lished  a  pamphlet  which,  under  the  caption  of 
"Life  and  Services  of  Hon.  George  Wallace 
Jones",  received  the  following  comment  from 
the  Burlington  Daily  Telegraph: 

The  above  addition  to  modern  literature,  we  learn 
from  the  Du  Buque  Herald,  has  at  length  met  with 
what  Jones  would  call  a  "safe  deliverance"  from  the 
press,  and  is  said  to  comprise  some  40  pages !  This  is 
certainly  an  awful  dose  to  be  forced  upon  a  rebellious 
palate,  and  our  bowels  of  compassion  instinctively 
yearn  for  those  unhappy  wights,  the  members  of  the 
legislature,  who,  in  addition  to  the  code,  and  a  thou 
sand  and  one  other  troubles,  are  now  called  upon  to 
wade  through  40  mortal  pages  to  find  out  who  killed 
Cock  Robin!77 

The  issues  of  this  newspaper  for  the  month 
of  December  devote  columns  of  type  to  the  most 
harsh  arraignments  of  the  character  and  abili 
ties  of  Jones;  while  many  other  papers  in 
the  State  were  scarcely  less  strong  in  their  in 
vectives.  Among  the  other  candidates  for 
nomination  were  Stephen  Hempstead  and 
Thomas  S.  Wilson  from  Dubuque,  E.  W. 
Johnson,  James  Grant,  Joseph  Williams,  and 
Verplanck  Van  Antwerp. 

At  the  opening  of  the  session  of  the  General 
Assembly  the  contest  was  in  full  swing.  Con 
gress  convened  on  the  same  day,  December  6, 


46      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

1852,  but  Jones  did  not  depart  for  Washington. 
He  stayed  to  see  the  fight  through  to  the  finish 
—  an  unwise  move  for  it  brought  upon  him 
pointed  charges  of  the  sacrifice  of  Congres 
sional  duties  for  the  personal  demands  of  office 
seeking. 

For  some  time  the  Democrats  dallied  and 
avoided  a  caucus.  But  on  December  20th  a 
caucus  was  held.  Out  of  a  total  of  fifty-nine 
votes  Jones  received  thirty.  This  majority  of 
one  vote  was  a  slim  victory,  but  it  must  be  re 
membered  that  the  opposing  twenty-nine  were 
divided  among  ten  different  candidates.78  Upon 
the  day  following  the  caucus  the  vote  of  the 
General  Assembly  was  cast  for  Jones  on  the 
first  ballot.  Making  arrangements  for  a  dinner 
in  honor  of  his  election,  Jones  set  off,  two  weeks 
late,  for  his  duties  at  Washington,  secure  in  the 
assurance  of  another  six  years  in  the  United 
States  Senate.79 

For  a  brief  period  of  time  the  Compromise  of 
1850  stilled  the  disquiet  of  the  country.  But  it 
was  only  an  artificial  sleep.  Jones  had  ex 
pressed  his  belief  that  these  measures  would 
settle  the  slavery  question  until  another  ad 
dition  of  territory  was  acquired.  He  was 
mistaken.  The  unorganized  land  west  of  the 
Missouri  was  destined  to  prove  as  great  a  bone 
of  contention  as  a  new  acquisition  would  have 
been.  In  December,  1853,  Senator  Dodge  of 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  47 

Iowa  introduced  a  bill  which  in  practically  the 
same  form  had  passed  the  House  during  the 
preceding  session.  It  provided  for  the  organ 
ization  of  Nebraska  as  a  Territory  with  no 
reference  to  the  question  of  slavery.  The  bill 
was  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Territories, 
of  which  Douglas  was  the  chairman  and  of 
which  Jones  was  a  member.  Here  it  underwent 
a  transformation  and  came  out  of  the  commit 
tee  in  January  a  Douglas  product.  It  provided 
for  the  establishment  of  the  two  Territorial 
governments  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska  and  left 
the  people  to  determine  for  themselves,  upon 
their  admission  to  the  Union,  whether  they 
should  come  in  as  free  or  as  slave  States.  A 
further  amendment  was  added  which  definitely 
repealed  the  Missouri  Compromise  of  1820. 

It  was  this  bill  that  was  to  overturn  the  pacifi 
cation  measures  of  1850  and  hasten  the 
inevitable  conflict.  Both  Senator  Jones  and 
Senator  Dodge  favored  the  measure  and  cast 
their  votes  for  its  final  passage.  For  Senator 
Dodge  the  vote  had  momentous  results.  The 
State  of  Iowa  underwent  a  marked  political 
change  in  1854.  Opposition  to  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  measure  became  the  breath  of  life  in 
a  new  organization  that  rose  from  the  Free  Soil 
party  and  the  decadent  party  of  the  Whigs. 
This  new  force  elected  James  W.  Grimes  Gov 
ernor  of  Iowa  and  in  the  winter  of  1854  to  1855 


48      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

chose  James  Harlan  to  succeed  Augustus 
Caesar  Dodge  in  the  United  States  Senate.  It 
was  the  beginning  of  the  Eepublican  party  in 
Iowa,  and  Jones  represented  for  the  rest  of 
his  term  not  the  majority  of  his  constituents 
but  the  old  line  Democracy  whose  one  time 
strength  prevented  it  from  now  realizing  its 
failing  influence. 

Jones  had  never  lost  sight  of  the  desire  of  his 
constituents  for  aid  in  the  construction  of  rail 
roads.  He  had  labored  session  after  session  to 
secure  from  Congress  a  grant  of  land  to  the 
State  of  Iowa  for  railroad  construction.  In  the 
spring  of  1856  he  was  at  last  successful.  Twice 
he  had  with  the  assistance  of  Dodge  brought 
a  similar  bill  to  a  favorable  vote  in  the  Senate 
only  to  have  it  fail  in  the  House.  Now  the 
bill  passed  the  House  of  Eepresentatives  first, 
and  on  May  8,  1856,  was  reported  to  the  Sen 
ate.  It  no  longer  provided  for  a  line  from 
Dubuque  to  Keokuk,  but  proposed  four  east  and 
west  routes  connecting  the  Mississippi  and  Mis 
souri  Eivers  and  beginning  at  four  points  on  the 
Mississippi  which  offered  continuous  connection 
with  the  East.  These  points  were  Dubuque, 
Lyons,  Davenport,  and  Burlington.  Jones  fore 
saw  that  the  bill,  if  referred  to  the  Committee 
on  Public  Lands,  would  encounter  at  least 
amendments  which  would  necessitate  its  return 
to  the  House,  and  he  fought  stubbornly  against 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  49 

its  reference  and  in  favor  of  immediate  action. 
It  was  an  unusual  proceeding,  but  he  brought  it 
to  pass  and  secured  a  favorable  vote  in  the  Sen 
ate  upon  May  9th,  the  day  after  the  bill  had 
been  received  from  the  House.80 

The  success  of  a  bill  granting  land  after  so 
many  disappointments  brought  much  joy  to  the 
people  of  Iowa,  and  Jones  received  the  well 
merited  gratitude  of  his  constituents.  This 
gratitude  was  not  universal,  however,  for  Keo- 
kuk  did  not  participate  in  the  benefits  of  the 
grant  and  felt  more  or  less  sorely  grieved.81 

The  political  reversal  that  met  Dodge  at  the 
hands  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Iowa  in  1854- 
1855  only  awaited  the  expiration  of  a  six  year 
term  of  office  to  overtake  Senator  Jones.  On 
March  4, 1859,  his  term  was  to  end,  and  since  the 
General  Assembly  of  Iowa  met  only  in  biennial 
sessions  the  election  of  his  successor  was  slated 
for  the  session  of  1857-1858. 

Jones  naturally  wished  for  reelection.  And 
if  the  political  sky  held  signs  of  gloomy  portent 
for  the  Iowa  Democracy,  yet  he  desired  at  least 
the  nomination  of  the  party  which  he  had  served 
so  many  years.  So  he  busied  himself  with  all 
the  arts  of  politics  which  he  knew  in  the  months 
that  preceded  the  meeting  of  the  General  As 
sembly.  There  was,  however,  a  man  in  his  own 
town  who  had  not  forgotten  the  past.  Thomas 
S.  Wilson  also  wished  to  be  Senator  and  it  was 


50      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

not  long  before  the  town  of  Dubuque  became  a 
scene  of  unwonted  controversy  in  which  men 
arrayed  themselves  on  one  side  or  the  other  as 
Montagues  and  Capulets  and  waged  unceasing 
dispute  for  Jones  and  for  Wilson.  It  became 
more  or  less  of  a  personal  fight  and  continued 
long  after  it  had  become  ludicrous  to  the  rest  of 
the  State.82  The  Eepublican  party  had  a  very 
evident  majority  in  the  legislature  and  the  end 
of  Democratic  Senatorship  was  a  foregone  con 
clusion.  Furthermore,  Jones  did  not  have 
behind  him  the  harmonious  support  of  even  the 
Democrats.  Indeed,  as  the  Kansas  imbroglio 
became  the  all  absorbing  topic,  the  lack  of  unity 
in  the  Democratic  ranks  became  increasingly 
evident. 

After  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  came  its 
legitimate  sequel.  In  Kansas  was  enacted  a 
scene  of  strife  and  bloodshed  in  the  efforts  of 
the  slave  and  free  forces  to  control  the  making 
of  a  constitution.  And  out  of  that  contention 
there  came  back  to  Congress  in  December  of 
1857  the  Lecompton  Constitution.  It  was  an  in 
strument  drawn  up  by  a  pro-slavery  convention 
which  dared  not  give  it  a  fair  chance  for  rati 
fication  by  the  people  of  the  Territory,  because 
it  was  apparent  to  all  that  the  Free  State  men 
were  greatly  in  the  majority  and  would  without 
question  reject  it.  A  form  of  submission  to  the 
people  was  carefully  framed  on  the  principle  of 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  51 

"heads  I  win,  tails  you  lose",  which  so  insulted 
the  Free  State  men  that  they  refused  to  partici 
pate  in  the  vote. 

When  Jones  went  clown  to  Washington  he 
found  his  long  time  friend  President  Buchanan 
fully  committed  to  the  South,  and  heard  in  his 
message  to  Congress  urgent  recommendations 
for  the  admission  of  Kansas  with  the  Lecomp- 
ton  Constitution.  Buchanan  had  blundered. 
With  him  were  the  Southern  Democrats,  but  he 
had  split  the  ranks  of  the  Democrats  of  the 
North.  Douglas,  unable  to  witness  such  a  per 
version  of  his  theory  of  squatter  sovereignty, 
took  a  bold  stand  against  the  proposition,  and 
carried  three  Democratic  Senators  with  him  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  administration.  In  the 
House  the  defection  from  President  Buchanan 
showed  itself  even  more  markedly. 

Jones  aligned  himself  with  the  Democrats 
who  supported  Buchanan.  He  well  knew  the 
political  make-up  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
Iowa.  He  knew  that  the  majority  of  the  voters 
of  the  State  were  against  him.  But  he  had 
chosen  his  course  and  he  would  not  recant.  Nor 
did  he  evade.  He  had  fast  friends  among  the 
Southerners,  and  his  early  environments  made 
him  fundamentally  in  sympathy  with  them.  He 
probably  believed  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the 
old  time  Democracy.  Like  many  another  he 
realized  but  dimly  the  strength  and  inherently 


52      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

permanent  foundations  of  the  party  which  had 
been  forcing  his  friend  Dodge  and  himself  from 
the  political  stage. 

That  party  had  easy  control  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  Iowa,  and  in  caucus  on  January 
25,  1858,  its  members  nominated  for  United 
States  Senator  the  man  who  had  as  leader  of  the 
new  organization  been  made  Governor  four 
years  before  —  James  W.  Grimes.  The  Demo 
cratic  caucus  held  on  the  same  day  selected 
Benjamin  M.  Samuels  as  the  opposing  candi 
date.  An  informal  ballot  showed  nineteen  votes 
for  Samuels,  thirteen  for  Jones,  six  for  Thomas 
S.  Wilson,  and  two  scattering.  A  formal  ballot 
which  followed  gave  Samuels  twenty-eight  votes 
and  Jones  ten.  It  is  possible  that  the  open 
stand  taken  by  Jones  in  favor  of  the  Lecompton 
Constitution  had  its  influence  in  his  rejection 
by  the  Democracy  of  his  State.  On  the  next  day 
in  joint  session  the  legislature  chose  James  W. 
Grimes  to  succeed  Jones  as  United  States  Sen 
ator. 

A  few  days  before  the  election  the  General 
Assembly  of  Iowa  expressed  its  condemnation 
of  the  Lecompton  Constitution  with  no  uncer 
tain  terms.  A  joint  resolution  was  passed 
instructing  the  two  Senators  and  requesting  the 
Representatives  in  Congress  to  oppose  the 
admission  of  Kansas  under  the  Lecompton  Con 
stitution  and  condemning  the  President  and 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  53 

others  in  authority  who  had  advised  or  con 
sented  to  such  admission.  The  resolution 
included  a  clause  requesting  that  the  Senators 
from  Iowa  resign  "unless  they  can  support  the 
foregoing  resolves,  and  vote  as  therein  indi 
cated."83 

On  February  4th  Jones  presented  these  reso 
lutions  and  asked  that  they  be  read  and  printed. 
He  then  informed  the  Senate  that  he  had  pre 
sented  the  resolutions  as  a  matter  of  respect  to 
his  State,  and  not  because  he  had  the  remotest 
idea  of  obeying  their  instructions.  He  asserted 
that  the  people  of  Iowa  had  not  the  question  of 
the  admission  of  Kansas  before  them  when  they 
chose  the  present  legislature  and  that  the  vote 
on  the  resolutions  had  been  a  strict  party  vote, 
the  Republicans  voting  for  and  the  Democrats 
to  a  man  against  the  instructions.  He  was  con 
vinced  that  when  they  came  to  understand  the 
question  as  he  did  they  would  not  refuse  to  ad 
mit  the  State  as  proposed.  He  believed  that  the 
people  of  Kansas  had  had  opportunities  of  ex 
pressing  themselves  at  the  ballot  box  and  had 
refused  to  do  so.  His  own  mind  was  irre 
vocably  made  up  to  vote  for  admission  and 
sustain  the  administration  as  far  as  he  was  able. 
He  favored  pairing  off  Kansas  and  Minnesota 
as  Iowa  and  Florida  had  been  paired  years  be 
fore  in  an  effort  to  preserve  the  balance  of 
States.84 


54      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

The  President's  recommendation  in  regard  to 
Kansas  was  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Ter 
ritories  of  which  Douglas  was  chairman  and  of 
which  Jones  was  a  member.  On  February  18, 
1858,  two  weeks  after  Jones  had  expressed  his 
views  of  the  instructions  from  the  Iowa  legis 
lature,  the  committee  reported  through  Senator 
Green  of  Missouri  a  bill  for  the  admission  of 
Kansas  with  the  Lecompton  Constitution.  Four 
members  of  the  committee  were  behind  the  ma 
jority  report,  Jones  of  Iowa  and  the  Senators 
from  three  slave  States  —  Green  of  Missouri, 
Sebastian  of  Arkansas,  and  Fitzpatrick  of  Ala 
bama.  Douglas  presented  a  minority  report 
embodying  his  opposition  to  the  measure ;  while 
a  second  minority  report  was  signed  by  Sena 
tors  Wade  of  Ohio  and  Collamer  of  Vermont.85 

Douglas  stubbornly  fought  the  bill,  but  it 
passed  the  Senate  on  March  23d,  Jones  record 
ing  himself  consistently  in  its  favor.  In  the 
House,  where  the  numerical  opposition  was 
stronger,  an  amendment  was  added  providing 
for  submission  of  the  Constitution  in  a  proper 
manner  to  the  vote  of  the  people  of  Kansas. 
The  Senate  disagreed  to  the  amendment,  and  a 
conference  committee  finally  proposed  a  com 
promise  which  passed  both  houses  and  was 
approved  by  the  President.  This  adjustment 
made  a  grant  of  land  to  Kansas  with  the  pro 
vision  that  if  she  accepted  the  grant  the  State 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  55 

should  be  at  once  admitted  under  the  Lecompton 
Constitution.  If  the  grant  was  not  accepted, 
Kansas  was  to  remain  a  Territory  until  its 
population  reached  the  number  necessary  for  a 
Eepresentative  in  Congress.  When  this  propo 
sition  —  an  undisguised  bribe  —  was  presented 
to  the  people  of  Kansas  they  rejected  it  with  a 
ten-to-one  vote  and  preserved  their  honor  and 
their  Territorial  status. 

In  was  in  this  year,  1858,  that  the  famous 
campaign  between  Lincoln  and  Douglas  took 
place.  Jones  openly  opposed  Douglas.  He  was 
influenced,  no  doubt,  by  both  political  and  per 
sonal  reasons.  The  stand  which  Douglas  had 
taken  against  the  Buchanan  administration 
alienated  him  from  the  old  line  Democrats,  and 
the  dispute  over  the  amendment  offered  by 
Jones  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  bill  made 
a  wide  breach  between  the  two  men. 

The  inhabitants  of  Galena  appear  not  to  have 
forgotten  the  neglect  of  their  town  and  it  was 
without  doubt  to  pacify  these  constituents  that 
a  letter  was  published  in  the  Galena  Courier 
from  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  in  which  he  explained 
his  action  in  allowing  the  amendment  to  pass 
changing  the  terminus  from  Galena  to  Dubuque. 
He  had  endeavored  to  dissuade  Jones  from  pre 
senting  the  amendment,  he  said,  but  the  Iowa 
Senators  were  immovable  and  insisted  upon  de 
feating  the  bill  unless  the  terminus  was 


56      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

changed.  Bather  than  lose  the  bill  he  had  con 
sented  to  the  amendment. 

This  letter  was  printed  in  the  issue  of  No 
vember  2,  1858.  The  reply  of  Jones  was 
immediate  and  direct.  On  November  9th  he 
wrote  to  Douglas  a  letter  long  and  scathing. 
He  denied  the  statements  of  the  "Little  Giant " 
as  to  his  threatening  to  defeat  the  bill  and  re 
marked  in  his  closing  paragraph :  ' '  This,  sir,  is 
the  third  time  that  you  have  made  'infamously 
false'  accusations  against  me,  and  that  I  have 
been  compelled  to  fasten  the  lie  upon  you. "  He 
mailed  the  letter  to  Douglas,  and  in  order  to 
make  certain  that  it  would  not  be  overlooked  he 
sent  copies  of  it  to  the  newspapers  for  publi 
cation.  Less  outspoken  words  than  these  had 
oft  times  been  the  cause  of  duels,  and  many 
were  they  who  looked  for  a  challenge  from 
Douglas.  But  the  expected  reply  was  not  forth 
coming,  and  so  the  incident  closed  without 
further  ado.86 

The  short  session  of  1858-1859  was  the  last  in 
which  Jones  sat  as  Senator  from  Iowa.  With 
the  fourth  of  March  came  the  close  of  his  Con 
gressional  career.  When  Senator  Dodge  had 
been  shelved  by  the  legislature  of  his  State, 
President  Pierce  had  sent  him  to  Spain  as  Min 
ister  from  the  United  States.  And  now  when 
the  fortunes  of  politics  swept  Jones  in  his  turn 
out  of  office  President  Buchanan  proffered  him 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  57 

the  office  of  Minister  at  Bogota,  capital  of  the 
republic  of  New  Granada  —  now  the  United 
States  of  Colombia.  The  offer  was  made  to 
Jones  before  he  left  Washington,  and  was  de 
clined.  But  after  reaching  his  home  at  Dubuque 
he  reconsidered  his  answer  and  accepted  the 
post. 


IV 

LATEK  YEAKS 

SANTA  FE  DE  BOGOTA  was  the  name  given  in  the 
old  Spanish  regime  to  the  town  to  which  Jones 
now  turned  his  way.  It  was  a  quaint  old  town 
and  the  way  thither  led  one  along  interesting 
trails.  It  was  early  summer  when  the  new 
Minister,  accompanied  by  his  son  Charles  as 
Secretary,  left  the  United  States  for  South 
America. 

They  landed  at  Carthagena,  the  old  coast 
fortress  whose  walls  date  back  to  the  time  of 
the  Inquisition.  From  there  they  crossed  over 
to  the  Magdalena  Eiver  and  began  its  ascent  by 
steamer  to  the  high  lands  of  the  interior.  Low 
and  swampy  country  bordered  the  old  Spanish 
Main,  but  in  their  long  river  journey  they  found 
uplands  taking  the  place  of  marshes  and  the 
native  Indian  supplanting  the  dawdling  negro. 

At  length  they  reached  Honda  where  they 
turned  from  the  river  to  the  mule  trail  over  the 
mountains.  It  was  a  ride  of  several  days.  Up 
over  the  ridges  of  three  spurs  of  the  Andean 
mountains  they  climbed,  and  descended  again 
into  as  many  valleys  before  they  made  the  final 
ascent  to  the  edge  of  the  broad  plateau  upon 

58 


LATER  YEARS  59 

which  rested  the  capital  of  New  Granada.  Near 
ly  two  miles  in  the  air  and  hundreds  of  miles 
from  anywhere  was  the  town  of  Bogota  —  a 
town  of  pleasant  manners  and  turbulent  his 
tory.87 

Jones  found  the  place  to  his  liking  and  the 
post  found  him  not  without  qualifications.  He 
was  a  Catholic  among  a  Catholic  people.  He 
spoke  French  fluently  and  found  it  understood. 
He  had  in  his  disposition  and  manners  much 
that  was  akin  to  the  characteristics  of  the 
Eomance  people;  and  with  the  courteous  and 
cultivated  inhabitants  of  the  plateau  of  Bogota 
he  formed  strong  friendships. 

He  came  upon  the  country  when  it  was  under 
going  a  revolution.  General  Ospina,  leader  of 
the  conservatives,  held  the  capital  city;  but 
Mosquera  —  once  a  conservative  himself  but 
toned  down  into  a  moderate  by  the  compelling 
force  of  politics  —  was  advancing  with  his 
army,  and  during  the  ministry  of  Jones  cap 
tured  the  city  of  Bogota  and  formed  a  new 
government,  federal  in  form,  under  the  title  of 
"The  United  States  of  Colombia ".8S 

With  both  conqueror  and  conquered  Jones 
made  friends  —  if  we  may  follow  his  own  record 
of  events  —  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  he  served 
well  the  interests  of  the  country  which  sent  him, 
for  he  was  able  and  had  always  shown  himself 
diligent  in  the  performance  of  duties.  For  more 


60      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

than  two  years  he  held  the  position  at  Bo 
gota.  Then  the  administration  at  Washington 
changed,  and  President  Lincoln  appointed 
Allen  A.  Burton  of  Kentucky  in  his  place. 

Through  the  late  summer  and  fall  of  1861, 
Jones  anxiously  awaited  the  arrival  of  his  suc 
cessor,  whom  he  daily  expected.  He  knew  by 
this  time  that  civil  war  had  come  upon  his  land 
and  that  his  two  sons  had  joined  the  Confed 
erate  army,  and  so  he  was  desirous  of  getting 
home  to  the  remnant  of  his  family  at  Dubuque. 
It  was  in  early  November  that  Burton  reached 
Bogota  and,  bidding  farewell  to  the  city  on  the 
heights,  Jones  set  out  for  his  own  disordered 
country.  Early  December  found  him  at  Wash 
ington,  where  he  reported  to  Secretary  Seward 
and  spent  a  fortnight  among  the  scenes  he  had 
known  so  well.  The  story  of  these  days  and  of 
the  events  which  followed  is  dramatically  told 
by  Jones  himself.89 

Taking  a  friendly  leave  of  Seward  he  went 
down  to  New  York  a  few  days  before  Christ 
mas  only  to  be  met  with  arrest  upon  the 
authority  of  a  telegram  from  the  Secretary  of 
State  from  whom  he  had  so  recently  parted. 
The  same  day  he  was  taken  under  guard  to  Fort 
Lafayette.  It  was  one  of  a  large  number  of 
arrests  made  by  the  administration  for  the  pre 
vention  of  treasonable  negotiations.  In  the  case 
of  George  W.  Jones,  the  immediate  cause  of  his 


LATER  YEARS  61 

apprehension  was  the  discovery  of  letters 
among  his  effects  containing  what  the  authori 
ties  judged  to  be  treasonable  utterances.  One 
of  these  was  a  letter  to  Jefferson  Davis.90 
Another  was  written  to  Isaac  E.  Morse  of 
Louisiana.91 

Some  weeks  later  these  letters  were  pub 
lished  in  the  newspapers  of  the  State  of  Iowa, 
accompanied  in  most  cases  by  the  condemnation 
of  the  editors  even  of  the  Democratic  organs. 
It  appears,  however,  that  D.  A.  Mahoney  of  the 
Dubuque  Herald,  though  his  attitude  toward 
Jones  in  the  past  had  been  anything  but  friend 
ly,92  made  some  effort  to  defend  him.  Within  a 
year  Mahoney  himself  entered  the  doors  of  the 
Federal  jail  charged  with  treasonable  machina 
tions. 

The  letter  from  Jones  to  Davis  was  dated 
May  17,  1861.  It  was  written  before  he  knew  of 
the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter  and  of  the  existence 
of  civil  war.  A  long  letter  it  was  and  full  of 
intimate  expression  of  opinion.  To  a  certain 
extent  he  reviewed  his  whole  public  life,  com 
mented  at  length  upon  the  reasons  for  his 
having  favored  Lincoln  in  preference  to  Doug 
las  in  1858,  and  remarked  that  he  had  hoped 
Lincoln  would  proclaim  his  total  dissent  from 
the  "mad  schemes  of  his  Abolition  supporters". 

The  whole  letter  was  an  arraignment  of  aboli 
tionism  which  he  looked  upon  as  the  cause  of  all 


62      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

the  present  difficulties  and  the  only  obstacle  to 
compromise  and  a  preserved  union  —  with  the 
possible  exception  of  the  (to  his  mind)  unprin 
cipled  demagogue  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  Then 
he  proceeded  to  write  of  more  personal  matters 
as  follows : 

My  latest  dates  are  to  the  22d  of  February,  and  I 
tremble  at  the  thought  of  receiving  other  dispatches, 
&c.,  lest  they  shall  announce  the  existence  of  civil  war. 
My  prayers  are  regularly  offered  up  for  the  reunion 
of  the  States  and  for  the  peace,  concord  and  happiness 
of  my  country.  But  let  what  may  come  to  pass,  you 
may  rely  upon  it,  as  you  say,  that  neither  I  nor  mine 
will  ever  be  found  in  the  ranks  of  our  (your)  enemies. 
May  God  Almighty  avert  civil  war,  but  if  unhappily 
it  shall  come,  you  may  (I  think  without  doubt,)  count 
on  me  and  mine,  and  hosts  of  other  friends  standing 
shoulder  to  shoulder  in  the  ranks  with  you  and  other 
Southern  friends  and  relatives  whose  rights,  like  my 
own,  have  been  disregarded  by  the  Abolitionists.  I 
love  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  for  the  honors  conferred  by 
them  on  me,  and  because  I  always  served  them  faith 
fully,  but  I  will  not  make  war  with  them  against  the 
South  whose  rights  they  shamefully  neglected.  Nor 
will  I  ever  sanction  any  effort  to  coerce  the  South  to 
submit  to  the  North  in  reference  to  a  question  (Slav 
ery)  with  which  the  North  has  no  right  to  interfere 
and  that  too  in  a  palpable  violation  of  the  Constitution 
of  my  country  —  the  treaty  with  France  —  the  law  of 
God  himself  and  every  principle  of  justice,  reason,  and 
the  experience  of  the  world  ....  May  God  bless 


LATER  YEARS  63 

you,  your  family  and  your  own  Sunny  South,  which 
[I]  will  still  hope  and  pray  shall  be  re-united  to  the 
cold  North. 

He  concluded  the  letter  with  the  remark  that 
"the  dissolution  of  the  Union  will  probably  be 
the  cause  of  my  own  ruin  as  well  as  that  of  my 
country,  and  may  cause  me  and  mine  to  go 
South.''93  This  last  statement  probably  refers 
to  an  intention  —  which  he  expressed  upon  the 
occasion  of  a  visit  to  his  brother  in  Texas  in 
1857  —  of  making  a  home  in  the  Lone  Star 
State.  The  letter  to  Morse  was  penned  on 
August  1,  1861.  By  this  time  Jones  knew  the 
worst.  He  expresses  himself  as  "exceedingly 
anxious  to  return  home  to  my  family  —  my  sons 
having  left  them  to  come  down  South  to  fight 
for  the  maintainance  of  the  Constitution,  the 
laws,  and  the  rights  of  the  people  of  the  South, 
as  I  intend  to  do  if  required  to  fight  at  all,  and 
if  it  be  possible  for  me  to  leave  my  family  and 
my  private  affairs  now  almost  in  a  ruined  state 
in  consequence  of  the  crisis. —  Great  God,  what 
a  calamity  civil  war  will  be  to  my  country  !"9i 

On  the  basis  of  these  letters  Jones  was  ar 
rested.  For  two  months  he  was  held  at  Fort 
Lafayette.  Then  came  release  upon  an  order  of 
the  Secretary  of  War,  dated  February  14,  1862. 
On  the  22nd  of  the  same  month  Jones  walked 
out  of  prison  after  giving  his  parole  engaging 
to  render  no  aid  or  comfort  to  enemies  in  hos- 


64      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

tility  to  the  United  States.95  In  Iowa  he  found 
a  vast  amount  of  execration  in  store  for  him.  A 
year  and  a  half  before  —  in  the  fall  of  1860  - 
he  had  come  up  to  the  States  for  a  brief  visit, 
and  upon  his  approach  to  his  home  town  the 
Mayor  of  Dubuque  headed  a  procession  which 
crossed  the  river,  met  him  at  Dunleith,  and 
escorted  him  in  triumph  through  the  streets  of 
Dubuque  to  his  residence.90  But  now  he  found 
little  favor  in  a  State  which  had  grown  fast  and 
strong  in  abolition  sentiments.  Perhaps  the 
least  of  his  detractors  was  D.  A.  Mahoney  of  the 
Herald.  The  publication  of  the  letters  brought 
still  more  widespread  condemnation  upon  his 
head. 

In  July  it  appears  that  Jones  wrote  to  Ma- 
honey  a  long  letter  in  self  defense,  which 
appears  in  the  columns  of  the  Herald?1  His 
contention  was  that  his  meaning  had  been  mis 
apprehended  —  that  he  had  not  meant  that  he 
would  engage  in  a  war  against  the  North,  but 
that  he  would  do  so  against  the  Abolition  Party 
alone.  Furthermore,  he  had  written  another  let 
ter  to  Jefferson  Davis  which  had  also  been 
intercepted  but  not  published ;  and  in  this  letter, 
he  said,  he  had  urged  Davis  to  "remain  in  the 
Union  and  then  I  and  my  sons  and  the  whole 
Democracy  of  the  North  will  fight  with  you  to 
sustain  you  in  your  rights,  under  the  Constitu 
tion,  to  hold  slaves  and  to  reclaim  them  under 


LATER  YEARS  65 

the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  when  found  in  the 
North."  He  had  been  always,  he  contended, 
opposed  to  secession  or  any  disruption  of  the 
Union  and  in  favor  of  a  peaceable  adjustment 
of  difficulties  i  i  by  amendment  of  the  laws  or  the 
Constitution,  by  compromise  or  concession; 
anything  rather  than  civil  war."  His  every 
word,  act  and  vote  in  Congress  and  as  Minister 
in  Bogota  had  proven,  he  thought,  that  he  be 
lieved  the  Union  could  remain  part  slave  and 
part  free  and  that  the  conflict  was  not  an  irre 
pressible  one. 

Such  was,  in  the  main,  the  defense  of  Jones. 
With  the  people  of  the  State  at  large  it  had  lit 
tle  effect.  They  cared  not  for  discriminations. 
In  their  eyes,  particularly  if  they  were  of  the 
Republican  majority,  he  was  worse  than  a 
Southern  rebel  inasmuch  as  he  did  not  have  the 
slavery  environments  and  the  allegiance  to  a 
slave  State  to  impel  him  in  that  direction. 
Many  another  Democrat  came  into  like  disre 
pute,  though  the  great  majority  of  those  who 
held  similar  views  were  more  guarded  in  their 
expression  and  thus  avoided  such  public  denun 
ciation. 

It  is  not  difficult,  with  the  foregoing  facts  and 
letters,  to  construct  a  definite  idea  of  the  atti 
tude  of  George  W.  Jones.  Nor  is  it  hard  to 
trace  the  reasons  for  this  attitude.  He  was 
born  on  free  soil,  it  is  true,  at  Vincennes,  Indi- 


66      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

ana.  But  the  Territories  of  Indiana  and 
Illinois,  in  which  he  spent  the  first  years  of  his 
life,  contained  hundreds  of  slaves,  and  the 
friends  of  the  system  were  putting  forth 
strenuous  efforts  to  make  slavery  legal  and 
permanent.  Among  the  most  able  and  most 
prominent  of  those  pro-slavery  men  who  so 
nearly  made  black  bondage  secure  north  of  the 
Ohio  Eiver  was  his  father,  John  Eice  Jones.98 

Then  for  a  score  of  years  Jones  lived  in 
the  Territory  and  State  of  Missouri.  In  a 
slave-holding  family  and  among  slave-holding 
neighbors  he  was  a  part  of  the  great  South  and 
felt  as  they  did  about  their  peculiar  institution. 
He  was  schooled  in  St.  Louis  and  in  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  and  at  the  latter  place  bound  himself 
with  affectionate  ties  to  Jefferson  Davis  and  a 
dozen  other  men  of  Southern  birth  and  antece 
dents.  Each  year  made  him  more  a  Southerner 
until  he  moved  to  the  lead  mines  of  the  north. 

By  this  time  the  trend  of  his  life  was  largely 
established.  He  took  with  him  slaves  and  kept 
them  for  many  years."  On  this  northwestern 
frontier  he  saw  more  of  Jefferson  Davis  and 
found  a  large  number  of  the  miners  claiming 
their  origin  from  the  States  below  the  Ohio  and 
Missouri.  When  he  went  to  Congress  as  Dele 
gate  his  most  intimate  friend  at  Washington  was 
his  boyhood  doctor,  Lewis  F.  Linn  of  Missouri. 
He  moved  to  Iowa  and  became  United  States 


LATER  YEARS  67 

Senator  together  with  another  one  time  Mis- 
sourian.  As  the  years  came  and  went  the  warp 
of  his  youth  stayed  with  him.  The  State  of 
Iowa,  peopled  at  first  so  largely  from  the  South, 
underwent  a  change.  But  Jones  did  not  change 
and  so  the  State  passed  him  by  and  discarded 
him.  With  Southern  tenacity  he  clung  to  the 
principles  of  his  early  days  and  the  party  of  his 
early  devotion  until  his  party  became  a  pathetic 
fragment  of  disrupted  hopes  and  his  principles 
made  him  a  Pariah  among  his  fellows. 

His  public  life  was  over  at  fifty-seven.  In  the 
town  of  his  adoption  on  the  west  shore  of  the 
Mississippi  he  settled  down  to  a  quiet  life  of 
retirement  that  lasted  until  he  died  thirty-five 
years  later.  The  Civil  War  passed,  and  grad 
ually  with  the  slow  healing  of  years  ancient 
friendships  revived.  He  grew  into  an  old  age 
full  of  happy  associations  and  mellowed  by  trib 
utes  of  respect  from  the  State  he  once  had 
served.  He  was  called  upon  now  and  then  to 
make  public  speeches  and  addresses.  Occasion 
ally  he  wandered  back  to  Washington  and 
mingled  with  the  generation  of  law-makers  that 
had  followed  him  at  the  capital.  Twice  at  least 
he  visited  the  South  —  once  to  see  his  old  friend 
Jefferson  Davis  and  again,  in  1889,  to  help  bury 
him. 

In  1892  an  act  passed  Congress  granting  him 
a  pension  of  twenty  dollars  a  month  for  his 


68      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

services  as  drummer  boy  in  the  War  of  1812  and 
as  aid  to  Dodge  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.100  It 
must  have  been  received  with  peculiar  feelings 
by  him  who  had  for  ten  years  acted  as  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Pensions  in  the  United 
States  Senate  and  passed  upon  thousands  of 
similar  cases. 

And  so  as  he  moved  on  toward  his  closing- 
years  he  came  to  be  a  patriarch  in  the  State. 
White-haired  and  full  of  years,  he  had  outlived 
his  generation.  He  linked  the  present  with  the 
days  of  the  State's  infancy.  In  this  same  year, 
1892,  he  gave  an  address  before  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Pioneer  Law-Makers  Association 
at  Des  Moines.101  A  year  later  he  was  again  in 
Des  Moines,  and  Charles  Aldrich,  receiving  a 
visit  from  him,  wrote  that  "he  is  still  in  the 
enjoyment  of  excellent  health,  and  is  as  fastid 
ious  regarding  the  polish  of  his  boots,  the  twist 
in  his  mustache,  and  the  ringlets  in  his  hair,  as 
deferential  in  his  treatment  of  ladies,  as  kind  to 
little  children,  as  breezy  and  full  of  good-fellow 
ship  when  meeting  old  friends,  as  when  the 
writer  saw  him  gliding  about  the  floor  of  the 
U.  S.  Senate  in  1852,  and  throwing  salutations 
to  the  beauties  in  the  gallery."102 

His  ninetieth  birthday  approached.  In 
March,  1894,  Governor  Jackson  sent  to  the  Gen 
eral  Assembly  of  Iowa  a  special  message.103  He 
briefly  reviewed  the  services  of  George  W. 


LATER  YEARS  69 

Jones  to  the  Territory  and  State,  commented  on 
the  fact  that  the  twelfth  of  April  marked  the 
ninetieth  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Jones,  and 
urged  that  as  an  appropriate  recognition  of  this 
eminent  citizen  an  invitation  be  extended  to  him 
to  visit  the  capital  of  the  State  and  that  a  re 
ception  be  tendered  to  him  by  the  General 
Assembly  in  joint  convention.  The  suggestion 
was  acted  upon  by  the  two  houses ;  and  as  the 
session  was  soon  to  close  the  fourth  of  April 
was  selected  as  the  date  for  the  occasion. 

The  invitation  pleased  not  only  Jones  but  the 
citizens  of  Dubuque  as  well.  At  a  meeting  in 
that  city  they  drew  up  and  adopted  resolutions 
of  gratitude  and  appreciation  which  contained 
these  words : 

Resolved,  That  during  the  sixty-four  years  ex- 
Minister  and  ex-Senator  Jones  has  been  a  resident  of 
Dubuque  and  of  Sinsinawa  Mound  near  by,  he  has,  as 
our  most  earnest  and  active  friend,  done  herculean 
work  to  advance  and  promote  our  general  prosperity, 
and  merits  our  lasting  gratitude  and  friendship,  and 
as  the  organizer  of  Iowa  Territory  and  the  godfather 
of  the  great  State  of  Iowa  and  his  life-long  devotion 
to  her  best  interests,  he  is  deserving  of  the  high  com 
pliment  about  to  be  paid  him,  and  the  citizens  of 
Dubuque  will  heartily  co-operate  to  make  the  day 
memorable  not  only  to  the  city  of  Dubuque,  but  in  the 
annals  of  Iowa. 

Resolved,  That  his  fidelity  to  Iowa  and  to  her  best 
interests,  and  his  unswerving  faithfulness  to  his 


70      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

friends,  combined  with  his  pure  and  unsullied  private 
character,  has  justly  endeared  General  Jones  to  our 
citizens  here  amongst  whom  he  has  resided  two  thirds 
of  a  century.104 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  of  April,  two 
days  before  the  session  was  adjourned,  the  two 
houses  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Iowa  met  in 
joint  convention  to  receive  Jones.  Addresses  of 
welcome  were  given  by  the  presiding  officers, 
after  which  Jones  addressed  the  Assembly.105 
This  action  coming  from  the  representatives  of 
the  State  was  fitting  and  deserved.  Jones,  in 
spite  of  his  mistakes,  had  wrought  much  good  to 
Iowa  during  his  long  term  of  service,  and  it  is 
a  matter  of  rejoicing  that  the  recognition  came 
not  too  late. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  last  years  of  the  life 
of  George  W.  Jones  were  happy.  He  was  able 
in  body  and  clear  in  mind.  He  enjoyed  as  do 
few  men  the  exchange  of  greetings  with  man 
kind,  old  and  young,  and  long  and  familiar 
conversations  with  congenial  souls.  Many  were 
the  homes  in  the  town  of  Dubuque  where  friends 
loved  well  to  have  the  gallant  old  man  with 
white  beard  and  curly  hair  come  in  for  a  rem 
iniscent  chat. 

Jones  had  known  many  public  men  and  had 
known  them  intimately.  He  had  had  a  part  in 
many  public  events  and  he  was  a  vivid  story 
teller.  As  he  saw  approaching  the  inevitable 


LATER  YEARS  71 

secession  of  his  soul  from  his  body  he  began  to 
put  his  recollections  into  permanent  form. 
Though  his  memory  often  played  him  false,  the 
tale  that  he  thus  tells  is  an  enlightening  record 
of  events  in  the  life  of  an  interesting  public 
character. 

He  had  lived  beyond  his  ninety-second  birth 
day  when,  on  July  22,  1896,  with  less  than  four 
years  left  of  the  century  he  so  nearly  spanned, 
he  died  at  his  home  in  Dubuque,  Iowa. 


PART  II 
II  T  0  B  I  0  G  R  A  P  H  Y 


73 


I 

AUTOBIOGKAPHY   OF    GEORGE   WALLACE   JONES 

I  WAS  born  at  Vincennes,  Indiana,  on  the  12th 
day  of  April,  at  half  past  ten  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  1804.  My  father,  John  Eice  Jones, 
was  born  at  Mallwydd,  Merionethshire,  North 
Wales,  on  the  llth  day  of  February,  1759. 
My  mother,  Mary  Barger,  was  born  in  Penn 
sylvania,  in  1767.  My  father  had  married  a 
Miss  Eliza  Powell  at  Brecon  in  Brecknockshire, 
Wales,  before  coming  to  the  United  States,  by 
whom  he  had  two  children,  Eice  and  Maria. 
After  coming  to  the  United  States  his  first  wife 
died  and  he  married  Miss  Mary  Barger,  by 
whom  he  had  eight  children,  viz:  John,  Eliza, 
Augustus,  Harriet,  Myers  Fisher,  George  Wal 
lace,  Nancy  and  William  Powell. 

John  Eice  Jones,  my  father,  was  a  man  of 
great  learning,  a  distinguished  soldier,  and 
thoroughly  democratic  in  his  conception  of  gov 
ernmental  concerns.  He  received  a  finished 
education  in  England  in  the  classics,  in  law,  and 
in  medicine,  and  was  an  accomplished  linguist 
and  mathematician.  He  practised  law  in  Lon 
don,  Great  Britain,  for  a  short  time.  He  came 
to  America  in  1784  and  settled  in  Philadelphia, 

75 


76      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

where  he  became  the  intimate  friend  of  Benja 
min  Franklin,  the  eminent  philosopher  and 
Minister  to  France,  and  of  Myers  Fisher,  the 
celebrated  barrister  of  Philadelphia.  He  was 
also  the  friend  of  Henry  Clay,  John  Eowan, 
Judge  Jesse  Bledsoe,  and  Major  William  T. 
Barry,  Post  Master  General  of  the  United 
States  under  President  Jackson  in  1829  and 
also  Minister  of  Spain. 

He  early  manifested  a  longing  for  the  West 
ern  country,  and  upon  the  advice  of  Franklin 
and  others  located  in  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
where  he  took  up  the  practice  of  law.  He  at 
once  interested  himself  in  military  affairs  and 
associated  himself,  as  Commissary  General, 
with  Gen.  George  Eogers  Clark's  army,  which 
was  organized  under  authority  of  the  Governor 
of  Virginia  to  subdue  the  Indians  in  the  North 
western  Territory. 

This  war  brought  him  to  Vincennes,  Indiana, 
and  later  to  Kaskaskia,  Illinois.  After  the  war 
was  over  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  at  Vin 
cennes,  Kaskaskia,  and  St.  Louis,  traveling 
between  those  distant  posts  on  horseback,  and 
camping  frequently  with  his  brother  lawyers. 

At  Vincennes  he  was  the  intimate  friend  of 
Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  who,  at  the  or 
ganization  of  Indiana  Territory,  was  appointed 
the  Governor.  Gen.  Harrison  was  elected 
President  of  the  United  States  in  1840,  and  was 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  77 

the  grandfather  of  the  present  ex-president 
Benjamin  Harrison.  I  was  at  that  time  three 
or  four  years  old,  and  remember  that  Gen. 
William  Henry  Harrison  often  danced  me  on 
his  foot.106 

While  my  father  lived  in  Indiana,  Congress 
was  petitioned  to  divide  the  Territory  of  Indi 
ana  and  establish  that  of  Illinois.  Jesse  B. 
Thomas  became  an  aspirant  for  Delegate,  pledg 
ing  himself  to  secure  the  division  of  Indiana 
Territory  and  establish  the  Territory  of  Illinois. 
He  was  required,  however,  before  they  would 
elect  him  as  Delegate,  to  give  bond  and  security 
that  he  would  procure  the  organization  of  the 
Territory  of  Illinois,  if  possible.  My  father 
drew  that  bond,  and  when  Thomas  appeared  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  to  take  the  oath  as 
Delegate,  some  one  in  the  gallery,  who  knew  of 
his  having  had  to  give  the  bond,  called  out 
twice:  " Where  is  the  bond?"107 

In  1807-1808  my  father  removed  with  his 
family  to  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,108  and  prac 
tised  law  there ;  he  also  practised  law  at  Mine  a 
Breton,  now  Potosi,  and  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
In  the  fall  of  1814  he  removed  from  Ste.  Gene 
vieve  to  New  Diggings  within  two  and  one-half 
miles  of  Potosi,  to  which  latter  place  he  subse 
quently  removed,  and  where  he  continued  to 
reside  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  at  the 
residence  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  John  Scott,  on 


78      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Third  Street,  St.  Louis,  February  1,  1824,  dur 
ing  the  session  of  the  Supreme  Court.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Su 
preme  Court  of  the  State  of  Missouri.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
the  State  of  Missouri  and  drew  the  first  draft 
of  its  Constitution.  His  long  and  useful  career 
has  become  a  definite  portion  of  the  recorded 
pages  of  the  history  of  Missouri.  He  was  a 
competitor  of  the  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Benton  at 
the  first  election  of  United  States  Senators,  and 
was  a  warm  friend  and  supporter  of  Col.  Ben- 
ton  up  to  the  day  of  his  death.  There  were  no 
politics  in  Missouri  in  those  days,  hence  he  and 
Benton  were  warm  friends  whilst  both  were 
made  by  their  mutual  friends  candidates  for  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States.  My  father  served 
with  distinction  in  the  Indian  wars  whilst  a 
resident  of  Vincennes,  for  which  he  received, 
under  act  of  Congress,  certain  lands.109 

When  my  half-brother  Eice  Jones  was  old 
enough,  his  father  sent  him  to  Lexington,  Ken 
tucky,  to  attend  the  Law  School  there,  where  he 
became  the  intimate  young  friend  of  Henry 
Clay,  Major  William  T.  Barry,  Col.  Eichard  M. 
Johnson  (of  Tippecanoe  battle  memory  and 
who  afterwards  became  a  member  of  Congress 
and  Vice  President  of  the  United  States)  and 
the  Hon.  John  J.  Crittenden,  Senator  in  Con 
gress  from  Kentucky.  Eice  Jones  graduated 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  79 

from  the  Law  School  of  Transylvania  Univer 
sity.  He  was  a  man  of  great  culture  and  learn 
ing.  When  I  was  a  Delegate  from  Michigan 
Territory,  Col.  Johnson  told  me  that  he  believed 
' 'Rice  Jones  was  the  smartest  and  wisest  man  he 
had  ever  known."  After  graduating  from 
the  Law  School  he  returned  to  Kaskaskia, 
where  he  practised  law  and  medicine.  He  was 
an  able  writer,  and  through  some  of  his  ar 
ticles  in  local  newspapers  gave  offense  to  Bond, 
who  afterwards  became  Governor  of  Illinois 
and  who  challenged  him  to  fight  a  duel.  They 
prepared  to  fight,  but  after  reaching  the  field 
the  matter  was  adjusted  to  the  entire  satisfac 
tion  of  Bond  but  to  the  dissatisfaction  of  Dr. 
Dunlap,  who  was  the  warm  friend  of  Bond  and 
the  personal  enemy  of  my  brother,  Bice  Jones. 
A  few  weeks  after  the  proposed  duel,  Dr.  Dun- 
lap  saw  Bice  Jones  pass  along  the  streets  in 
Kaskaskia  and  exclaimed  "  There  goes  Bice 
Jones  now!"  He  hitched  his  horse  to  a  post 
and  drawing  a  pistol  from  his  belt  shot  my 
brother  through  the  body.  A  friend  saw  Bice 
fall,  ran  up  to  him  and  asked  "What  has 
happened  ? ' '  He  replied, ' '  Dr.  Dunlap  has  mur 
dered  me!"  and  expired  in  a  few  seconds.  Dr. 
Dunlap  mounted  his  horse,  made  his  escape,  and 
has  never  been  since  heard  from,  although  my 
uncle,  William  Shannon,  then  considered  a 
wealthy  man,  offered  a  reward  of  Five  Thou- 


80      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

sand  Dollars  (which  was  considered  a  large  sum 
at  that  time)  for  his  apprehension.  The  belief 
is  that  he  escaped  to  Mexico,  or  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Texas. 

John  Rice  Jones'  oldest  daughter  by  his  sec 
ond  marriage  was  married  to  Hon.  Andrew 
Scott,  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  November  5, 
1811,  who  removed  to  New  Diggings,  Missouri. 
He  was  appointed  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  Territory  of  Arkansas,  into  which  Terri 
tory  he  removed  and  organized  the  territorial 
government  himself  at  the  post  of  Arkansas  in 
1819,  rearing  a  large  family  of  children  —  his 
eldest  son,  Hon.  John  Eice  Homer  Scott,  being 
still  a  resident  of  the  State  and  highly  honored 
by  his  fellow  citizens.  John  Eice  Homer  Scott's 
oldest  son,  Dr.  Andrew  Scott,  is  now  a  citizen  of 
Little  Eock,  Arkansas,  standing  high  in  his  pro 
fession  as  a  physician.  His  third  son,  George 
Scull  Crittenden  Scott,  is  an  honored  merchant 
of  McGregor,  Iowa.  Their  brother,  Henry  Clay 
Scott,  is  a  respected  citizen  of  Austin,  Illinois. 
Two  of  their  sisters  married  —  Eliza,  to  the 
Hon.  Benjamin  H.  Campbell,  who  had  a  large 
family  of  children  and  grand  children,  and  was 
himself  United  States  Marshal  for  Illinois ;  and 
the  second  sister,  Elizabeth,  who  married  Hon. 
J.  Eussell  Jones,  also  United  States  Marshal, 
and  all  residents  of  Chicago. 

John  Eice  Jones'  second  daughter,  Harriet, 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  81 

married  Thomas  Brady,  a  wealthy,  influential 
merchant  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  a  native 
of  the  City  of  Cork,  Ireland.  He  died  in  St. 
Louis  in  1820,  leaving  twin  sons  (one  of  whom 
later  died)  and  three  daughters.  The  widow  of 
Mr.  Brady  (Harriet)  married,  in  1824,  Hon, 
John  Scott,  an  older  brother  of  Andrew,  by 
whom  she  had  several  children  —  one  the  wife 
of  Samuel  M.  Wilson,  the  leading  attorney  at 
the  bar  in  San  Francisco,  California,  who  died 
a  few  years  ago ;  another,  George  Dodge  Scott? 
is  a  merchant  residing  at  Dubuque,  Iowa. 

John  and  Myers  F.,  sons  of  John  Rice  Jones, 
removed  to  the  Republic  of  Texas,  where  they 
occupied  positions  of  high  honor  and  trust. 
Augustus  removed  to  Texas  in  1851,  after  it  be 
came  a  member  of  the  Union.  The  oldest  son, 
John,  who  added  "Rice"  to  his  name  after  re 
moving  to  Texas,  because  of  the  great  number 
of  his  name  there,  was  twice  made  Post  Master 
General  of  the  Republic,  and  was  considered  the 
ablest  officer  in  his  cabinet  by  President  Sam 
Houston,  afterwards  the  friend  and  brother 
United  States  Senator  in  Congress  of  George 
W.  Jones,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  three 
brothers  left  large  numbers  of  highly  respected 
children  to  do  honor  to  their  parents  and  grand 
parents. 

At  the  age  of  six  years,  I  removed  with  my 
parents  to  Kaskaskia,  Illinois,  then  to  Ste.  Gen- 


82      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

evieve,  and  later  to  Potosi,  Missouri.110  At  Ste. 
Genevieve  I  went  to  the  village  school,  my  pre 
ceptor  being  the  Hon.  Mann  Butler,  the  author 
of  the  history  of  Kentucky,  who  later  became 
the  professor  of  mathematics  in  Transylvania 
University,  where  I  was  graduated  on  July  13, 
1825.  At  Ste.  Genevieve  I  was  the  drummer 
boy  of  the  company  of  volunteers  commanded 
by  Capt.  William  Linn,  the  younger  brother  of 
the  late  Lewis  F.  Linn,  the  model  Senator  of 
Missouri,  who  was  my  devoted  friend  whilst  I 
was  a  Delegate  in  Congress  from  Michigan  and 
Wisconsin  Territories,  and  from  my  infancy. 
This  was  in  the  War  of  1812. 

In  1821 1  was  sent  from  St.  Louis,  where  I  had 
been  at  the  Catholic  College,  under  Bishop  Du 
Bourg,  to  Transylvania  University,  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  under  the  charge  of  my  father's  old 
and  esteemed  friend,  Governor  Ninian  Edwards 
(then  a  Senator  in  Congress  from  Illinois), 
riding  on  horseback  from  St.  Louis  to  Lexing 
ton.  At  Frankfort,  at  the  house  of  Francis  P. 
Blair,  afterwards  editor  of  the  Congressional 
Globe  with  John  C.  Rives,  I  was  introduced  by 
Governor  Edwards  to  Hon.  Henry  Clay  and 
Major  William  T.  Barry,  the  former  then 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  latter  Lieutenant  Gov 
ernor  of  Kentucky  and  ex-officio  President  of 
the  Senate  of  the  State.  I  had  letters  of  intro- 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  83 

duction  to  Messrs.  Clay  and  Barry,  whose  ward 
I  was  to  be  while  in  college.  I  also  bore  a  letter 
of  introduction  to  Alexander  Parker,  a  rich  old 
merchant  at  Lexington,  the  father-in-law  of  the 
eldest  brother  of  Hon.  John  J.  Crittenden. 
With  three  such  distinguished  Lexingtonians  as 
solicitous  patrons,  I  could  not  have  entered  col 
lege  under  more  favorable  auspices,  for  I  soon 
became  very  intimate  with  their  families  and 
large  circle  of  friends.  It  was  at  that  time  and 
place  that  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  who  was  considered  the  best  looking  as 
he  was  the  most  intelligent  and  best  beloved 
student  in  the  University.  I  formed  a  warm 
friendship  with  him  which  has  known  no  inter 
ruption. 

I  also  made  the  acquaintance  of  David  R. 
Atchison,  Solomon  W.  Downs,  Edward  A.  Han- 
negan,  Jesse  D.  Bright,  Owen  Glendower  Gates, 
Governor  Morehead,  Hon.  John  W.  Tibbatts, 
Belvard  J.  Peters,  and  others,  who,  after  being 
my  college  mates,  became  my  colleagues  in  Con 
gress  and  firm  friends.111  I  believe  I  am  now 
' i  the  last  of  the  Mohicans ' ',  excepting,  perhaps, 
the  aforesaid  Belvard  J.  Peters,  one  of  my  fel 
low  graduates  who  is  still  practising  law,  having 
been  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  at  Mount 
Sterling,  Kentucky.  Among  others  of  my  col 
lege  mates  were  Gen.  Gustavus  A.  Henry 
(afterwards  General  of  the  Confederate  Army 


84      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

and  styled  the  "  Eagle  Orator ",  because  of  Ms 
great  eloquence),  Thomas  Jefferson  Jennings, 
Hon.  Landaff  W.  Andrews  and  his  three  broth 
ers  (Landaff  W.  afterwards  becoming  my 
brother  member  of  Congress)  and  Hon.  John 
M.  Bass  of  Nashville,  Tennessee,  who  married 
a  daughter  of  Hon.  Felix  Grundy,  Attorney 
General  under  Martin  Van  Buren,  at  Nashville, 
Tennessee  —  married  on  the  7th  of  January, 
same  day  of  my  marriage,  by  agreement. 

At  Lexington,  in  1823,  for  the  sake  of 
exercise,  I  became  a  member  of  the  Cavalry 
Company  of  Captain  Prindle. 

In  November  of  that  year,  Gen.  Andrew  Jack 
son  passed  through  Kentucky  and  Lexington, 
from  the  Hermitage  in  Tennessee,  on  his  way 
to  take  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate.  I 
had  the  honor  of  being  appointed  Sergeant  of 
the  body-guard  of  the  old  hero  as  he  was  escort 
ed  through  the  State  by  thousands  of  admiring 
citizens.  In  the  May  following  I  occupied  a  like 
enviable  position  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette, 
the  revolutionary  friend  of  Washington,  "the 
Father  of  his  country",  as  the  distinguished 
hero  also  passed  through  Kentucky  on  his 
celebrated  visit  to  the  United  States,  whose 
independence  he  aided  so  materially  to  acquire. 

I  was  graduated  at  Transylvania  on  the  13th 
of  July,  1825,  in  a  class  of  fifty-two  young  gen 
tlemen,  when  that  institution  was  at  its  best, 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  85 

under  the  presidency  of  Eev.  Horace  Holley, 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  educators  of  the 
day. 

After  graduating  I  came  to  Ste.  Genevieve, 
Missouri,  and  entered  the  law  office  of  my 
brother-in-law,  the  Hon.  John  Scott,  who  had 
been  some  fifteen  years  in  Congress  from  the 
Territory  and  State  of  Missouri.112  The  firm 
name  was  Scott  and  Allen  (Beverly).  In  a 
few  months  afterwards  I  became  a  terrible 
sufferer  from  headache,  dyspepsia,  and  inter 
mittent  fever,  and  was  often  very  ill,  although 
under  the  care  of  Dr.  Linn113  who  was  consid 
ered  the  most  able  physician  in  the  whole 
country,  even  at  Washington  City,  where  there 
were  so  many  of  that  learned  profession.  After 
a  long  and  very  severe  illness,  Dr.  Linn  came 
into  my  sick  room  and  earnestly  advised  me  to 
give  up,  at  least  for  a  time,  the  confinement  of 
the  law  office  and  resort  to  open  air  exercise  and 
hard  work  as  the  only  means  of  restoring  my 
health.  He  urged  me  to  go  to  the  Fever  Eiver 
lead  mines  and  engage  in  mining  and  smelting, 
of  which  I  had  acquired  considerable  knowledge 
at  Potosi,  Missouri,  where  my  father  had  owned 
extensive  lead  mines  and  lead  furnaces.  He 
said:  "Buy  yourself  a  French  pony,  hire  some 
of  these  Creoles  here,  ride  out  five  or  ten  miles 
a  day,  sleep  on  a  hard  bed,  give  up  high  living 
—  trying  corn  bread  and  rough  fare  as  the  only 


86      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

means  of  restoring  your  health."  He  added: 
"It  has  taken  all  my  skill  and  the  kind  and 
gentle  nursing  of  your  sister,  Mrs.  Scott,  and 
Aunt  Shannon  to  save  your  life  for  the  last 
eighteen  months.7'  He  also  said:  "If  you  do 
not  take  my  advice  you  will  never  get  Josephine 
for  your  wife. ' '  This  decided  me  and  I  left  Ste. 
Genevieve  the  next  day  for  the  Fever  Eiver  lead 
mines,  which  were  located  in  Michigan  Terri 
tory,  now  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 

It  was  in  the  Spring  of  1827  that  I  came  to 
that  section  of  the  country,  "squatted"  upon 
Sinsinawa  Mound  in  Grant  County,  now  in  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  taking  up  1001  acres.  I  re 
turned  to  Ste.  Genevieve  to  hire  my  Frenchmen 
and  get  my  outfit.  I  was  soon  again  prostrated 
by  a  severe  fever,  from  which  I  did  not  recover 
for  several  months,  and  so  had  to  defer  my  de 
parture  from  Ste.  Genevieve  until  the  following 
Spring,  when  I  bought  a  French  pony,  had  250 
barrels  of  kiln-dried  corn  meal  put  up,  hired 
ten  or  twelve  men,  and  returned  to  the  lead 
region  to  seek  my  health  and  fortune.  On  land 
ing  at  Galena,  I  bought  five  yoke  of  oxen  and  a 
wagon,  came  out  to  Sinsinawa  Mound,  and  slept 
on  the  ground  under  my  wagon.  The  next 
morning  at  daylight  I  put  the  men  to  chop 
ping  down  trees;  and  in  two  days  thereafter  I 
slept  in  the  log  cabin  that  I  had  built  and  com 
pleted  in  that  time.  I  carried  up  two  corners 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  87 

of  the  house  myself  —  the  first  manual  labor  I 
had  ever  done.  The  cabin  was  49  by  17  feet, 
having  an  entry  of  15  by  17  feet.  Each  room 
had  one  door  and  one  window  only,  which  I  also 
put  in.  The  flooring  was  of  planks  which  I  had 
brought  from  Ste.  Genevieve. 

The  next  day  I  put  my  men  to  quarrying  rock, 
and  in  a  few  days  I  had  two  good  log  furnaces 
built.  I  then  set  teamsters  to  hauling  mineral 
from  the  Menominee  and  Fever  Eiver  and  other 
lead  mines.  I  was  soon  turning  out  my  150  pigs 
of  lead  per  day,  and  with  the  sale  of  goods  which 
I  bought  at  St.  Louis  I  was  as  busy  a  man  as 
could  be  found  anywhere  in  those  "diggings". 
I  slept  in  my  bunk,  which  I  built  in  one  corner 
of  my  log  cabin ;  I  ate  with  my  hired  men,  one  of 
them  by  turns  being  cook;  my  food  was  corn 
bread,  coffee  and  tea,  pickled  salt  pork  and 
bacon,  I  having  no  milk  and  not  a  vegetable.  I 
had  my  men  up  at  daylight  and  they  did  not  less 
than  sixteen  or  seventeen  hours  of  work  per 
day;  and  better  workers  never  came  up  to  this 
frontier  country.  Every  night  between  twelve 
and  one  o'clock,  I  would  go  down  to  my  fur 
naces,  some  seventy  or  eighty  yards  off,  to  see 
that  all  things  were  going  on  properly.  If  I 
could  not  right  matters,  I  would  send  my  smelt 
ers  down  to  do  so.  I  had  the  best  set  of  men 
that  I  have  ever  seen  in  my  life,  and  with  my 
smelting,  mining  and  merchandising  I  was  mak- 


88      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

ing  money  rapidly  and  getting  ready  to  go  down 
to  Ste.  Genevieve  to  spend  the  winter  and  marry 
Josephine  Gregoire —  which  I  did  on  January 
7th,  1829,  on  her  17th  birthday. 

One  night  about  nine  o'clock  I  heard  a  voice 
hallooing  outside.  I  stepped  out  and  could 
barely  see  two  men  on  horseback.  The  near  one 
said: 

' ' Does  Mr.  Jones  live  here?" 

I  replied:  "I  am  Mr.  Jones." 

"Can  we  get  to  stay  all  night  with  you?" 

"Yes",  I  replied,  "but  you  will  have  hard 
fare,  for  I  have  no  bed.  I  can  give  you  some 
buffalo  robes  and  hobble  your  horses  out,  as  my 
horse  is.  But  where  are  you  going?"  I  asked. 

He  replied:  "To  Fort  Crawford,  at  Prairie 
duChien." 

' i  Where  are  you  from  ? ' ' 

"From  Galena." 

"Why,  sir,  you  are  twelve  miles  off  your 
road." 

He  then  asked:  "Mr.  Jones,  did  you  ever  go 
to  college  at  Lexington,  Kentucky?" 

"Yes,  I  did." 

' '  Do  you  remember  a  college  boy  by  the  name 
of  Jeff.  Davis?" 

"Yes,  I  shall  never  forget  that  dear  boy." 

"Well",  he  replied,  "I  am  Jeff." 

I  jumped  out,  hauled  him  from  his  horse,  and 
said:  "Dear  Jeff!  You  shall  come  in  and  sleep 
in  my  bunk. ' ' 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  89 

He  had  not  long  before  that  graduated,  in 
1828,  at  West  Point,  and  been  assigned  to  his 
infantry  regiment  at  Fort  Crawford,  Prairie  du 
Chien,  and  he  had  come  on  to  see  nie,  learning  at 
Galena  where  I  was.  He  was  in  search  of  de 
serters.  He  often  came  to  visit  me  at  my  log 
cabin  and  smelting  establishment  at  Sinsinawa 
Mound  before  and  after  my  marriage. 

When  a  law  student  in  Mr.  Scott's  office,  I 
became  the  deputy  of  Col.  Joseph  D.  Grafton, 
who  was  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  that 
County.  In  the  absence  of  the  Colonel,  who  was 
ill,  I  acted  as  his  deputy  when  the  famous  John 
Smith  T  was  tried  for  the  murder  of  a  Mr. 
Ball  in  the  house  of  Mrs.  John  Me  Arthur,  the 
sister  of  the  late  Senator  Lewis  F.  Linn,  and 
half-sister  of  Gen.  Henry  Dodge.  It  was  the 
ninth  or  tenth  man  that  Smith  had  killed,  and 
Mr.  Scott  was  his  sole  defender  and  attorney. 
He  was  acquitted. 

A  short  time  thereafter  the  Clerk  of  the 
United  States  District  Court,  Col.  Thomas 
Oliver,  died,  whereupon  Hon.  John  Scott  drew 
up  a  petition  to  the  Hon.  James  H.  Peck,  the 
United  States  District  Judge,  residing  at  St. 
Louis,  recommending  Col.  Joseph  D.  Grafton  to 
fill  the  vacancy.  The  petition  was  signed  by 
Scott  and  Allen,  Gen.  Henry  Dodge,  then  a  citi 
zen  of  Ste.  Genevieve  County  and  the  United 
States  Marshal  of  the  State,  my  uncle  William 


90      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Shannon,  President  of  the  Bank,  Dr.  Linn, 
afterwards  U.  S.  Senator,  Judge  Joseph  Bogy, 
father  of  the  late  Hon.  L.  V.  Bogy,  United 
States  Senator,  Messrs.  Kiel  and  Bisch,  Charles 
Gregoire,  Sr.,  (who  became  my  father-in-law), 
and  Jr.,  the  Valles,  and  nearly  every  man  in  Ste. 
Genevieve  who  could  write  his  name.  The  peti 
tion  was  not  shown  to  me,  as  I  was  quite  young 
and  had  but  a  short  time  before  become  a  citizen 
of  the  place,  and  I  was  not  asked  to  sign  it.  A 
few  days  after  the  petition  was  sent  off  to  the 
Hon.  Judge  Peck,  I  went  to  the  Post  Office,  as 
usual,  to  get  our  mail.  The  Post  Master,  Mr. 
Amoureaux,  handed  me  a  large  envelope  and 
letter  addressed  to  "  George  W.  Jones,  Esq., 
Clerk  of  the  United  States  Court,  Ste.  Gene 
vieve,  Missouri",  with  something  like  two  or 
more  dollars  postage,  the  postage  at  that  time 
being  25  cents  for  every  piece  of  paper  and  25 
cents  for  every  half  ounce.  I  declined  to  re 
ceive  the  letter,  saying:  "I  am  no  Clerk  of  the 
U.  S.  Court  and  I  have  no  $2.00  to  throw  away 
on  another  man's  letter."  The  Postmaster 
said : t  i  There  is  no  other  George  W.  Jones  about 
here.  Open  the  letter,  and  if  it  is  not  for  you,  I 
will  give  you  back  your  money."  I  did  so  and 
read  as  follows : 

My  dear  young  Friend : 

A  petition  written  by  your  brother-in-law,  recom 
mending  Col.  Grafton  for  Clerk  of  my  Court  has  been 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  91 

sent  to  me,  but  as  I  recollect  your  courtesies  to  me 
when  I  attended  your  graduating  exercises  at  Lex 
ington,  last  July,  where  you  acquitted  yourself  so 
creditably  and  where  you  so  kindly  had  me  elected  as 
an  honorary  member  of  the  Union  Philosophical  So 
ciety  of  which  you  were  then  a  Secretary,  it  affords  me 
great  pleasure  to  tender  you  the  appointment  of  Clerk 
of  my  Court,  in  the  place  of  my  old  friend,  Col.  Oliver, 
recently  deceased.  The  appointment  will  aid  you  in 
your  study  of  the  law  and  put  money  in  your  purse. 
Your  old  and  sincere  friend, 

JAMES  H.  PECK,  Judge,  etc. 

I  accepted  the  office  and  performed  its  duties 
until  after  my  marriage.  I  continued  in  the 
mercantile,  smelting  and  mining  business  at  Sin- 
sinawa  Mound  during  my  terms  of  this  office. 

As  the  expiration  of  the  time  for  which  I  had 
hired  my  men  at  Ste.  Genevieve  approached,  I 
determined  to  suspend  business  for  the  winter 
and  return  to  that  town.  I  hired  some  boat 
builders  and  had  them  build  for  me  two  flat- 
bottomed  or  broad-horned  boats  in  which  to  take 
my  lead  down  to  St.  Louis,  the  Mississippi  Riv 
er  being  then  very  low  and  there  being  no 
steamboats  on  which  I  could  ship  my  lead.  The 
water  in  the  river  that  spring  was  higher  by  six 
or  eight  feet  than  I  have  ever  seen  it  since,  and 
in  the  summer  and  fall  it  became  lower  than  I 
have  ever  known  it  to  be.  I  also  had  a  large 
skiff,  or  yawl,  built  at  the  same  time  and  place, 


92      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

immediately  opposite  to  the  city  of  Dubuque. 
The  place  for  that  reason  was  known  as  "Boat 
Yard  Hollow "  ami  it  still  bears  that  name. 

I  dissuaded  my  uncle,  William  Shannon,  from 
buying  a  horse,  as  he  was  about  to  do,  to  ride  to 
St.  Louis,  and  induced  him  to  accompany  me  in 
my  skiff,  or  yawl,  to  St.  Louis,  as  I  had  a  good 
cook  and  ten  good  oarsmen  to  row  us  down  the 
river.  In  a  few  days  I  had  my  flat  boats  loaded 
with  my  lead  at  Galena,  and  soon  followed  them 
with  my  skiff,  French  voyageurs,  and  uncle. 
When  we  got  out  of  Fever  River  the  wind  was 
blowing  and  my  uncle  advised  me  to  return.  I 
did  so;  but  after  waiting  awhile  under  the  big 
willow  trees  the  wind  seemed  to  lull,  and  I  or 
dered  my  men  aboard  and  we  put  out  again. 
But  the  wind  at  once  arising  higher  than  ever, 
the  white  caps  flying  over  us,  my  uncle  said: 
' '  See  there,  now,  you  will  sink  your  boat,  drown 
your  men  and  lose  all  your  lead. "  I  replied: 
"Let  us  think  of  our  Susan  and  our  Josephine ! " 
"D—  your  Josephine  and  your  Susan!7' 
(Susan  was  his  wife  and  my  mother's  sister.) 

We  reached  St.  Louis  in  a  very  few  days, 
where  I  sold  my  boats  and  lead.  Then  I  took  a 
steamboat  for  Ste.  Genevieve,  drove  up  to  my 
brother-in-law's  house,  kissed  my  sister,  and 
her  sweet  little  daughters,  and  declining  a  seat 
said  I  wanted  to  go  to  see  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Linn. 
Reaching  their  house,  where  I  was  received  with 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  93 

open  arms,  I  again  declined  to  take  a  chair,  say 
ing:  "I  want  to  go  to  see  my  Aunt  Shannon." 
"Well,  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  the  dear  Doctor, 
and  so  we  left.  At  Aunt  Shannon's  I  again 
refused  a  seat  and  said:  "I  want  to  see  Jose 
phine."  The  Doctor,  my  ever  devoted  friend, 
said :  "I  will  go  with  you."  And  so  he  did. 

On  approaching  Mr.  Gregoire's  house,  I  saw 
the  sweet  Josephine  standing  in  the  back  door 
of  the  house,  draped  in  deep  mourning,  as  I  had 
never  seen  her  before,  her  mother  having  died 
in  my  absence.  On  entering  the  parlor  I  asked 
her  oldest  sister  if  I  could  see  Josephine.  "Not 
now,  George.  Come  to-night  and  take  tea  with 
us.  Josephine  has  undertaken  to  cook  dinner 
for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  in  the  absence  of 
Antoinette  and  Louise  (two  negro  women)  who 
are  at  the  creek  washing."  I  knew  where  she 
was,  and  immediately  put  through  the  dining 
room  to  see  her  at  the  back  door,  which,  how 
ever,  she  had  left  for  the  kitchen,  some  twenty 
steps  off,  in  the  door  of  which  she  was  standing. 
I  ran  to  the  door  like  a  deer,  threw  my  arms 
around  her  neck  and  kissed  her  sweet  lips,  she 
blushing  charmingly  at  the  time.  I  said :  "Jose 
phine,  you  know  how  devotedly  I  have  loved 
you,  ever  since  I  first  met  you,  at  Carmelite 
Bossier 's  birthnight  ball!  I'll  come  to-night, 
and  for  the  first  and  last  time,  will  ask  you  to  be 
my  wife. ' '  I  returned  to  the  parlor  and  said  to 
Dr.  Linn:  "Let's  go,  Doctor." 


94      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

I  declined  Miss  Gregoire's  invitation  to  tea; 
but  immediately  after  supper  at  Mr.  Scott's,  I 
returned  to  Mr.  Gregoire's  and  was  met  in  the 
parlor  by  his  lovely  daughter.  I  repeated  to  her 
what  I  had  said  in  the  kitchen,  and  asked  if  she 
was  willing  to  be  my  wife.  She  said:  "Yes,  if 
my  father  will  give  his  consent. ' '  I  again  kissed 
her  and  after  spending  an  hour  or  two  longer 
with  her  I  returned  home.  I  had  met  Josephine 
at  a  ball,  on  the  29th  of  September,  1825,  fell 
desperately  in  love  with  her,  eo  instanter,  and 
have  loved  her  devotedly  ever  since,  and  never 
more  than  at  this  moment.  The  next  morning 
after  breakfast  I  called  to  see  her  again  and  to 
ask  her  father's  consent  to  marry  her.  I  had  to 
speak  in  the  French  language,  as  was  usual  with 
him.  Upon  my  broaching  the  subject  of  my  call 
he  said :  "I  have  a  high  regard  for  you,  George, 
but  Josephine  is  too  young  to  get  married ;  she 
is  not  yet  seventeen  years  old. ' '  I  replied  that 
I  did  not  know  her  age  myself,  but  that  I  had 
loved  her  ever  since  the  first  moment  I  had  ever 
seen  her  and  was  anxious  to  make  her  my  wife, 
having  established  myself  in  business  at  Sin- 
sinawa  Mound.  He  said:  "Call  again  in  the 
afternoon  or  evening  and  I  will  give  an  answer 
to  your  request."  I  thereupon  returned  to  the 
parlor  to  see  Miss  Josephine.  Mr.  Gregoire 
immediately  went  to  see  Mr.  Scott  and  my  sis 
ter,  who  said  to  him  that  I  had  never  spoken  to 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  95 

either  of  them  on  the  subject,  but  that  there  was 
no  young  lady  in  the  country  whom  they  would 
sooner  see  me  marry  than  Josephine,  whose 
parents  had  always  since  her  birth  been  their 
warm  friends.  After  tea  I  again  called  upon 
Mr.  Gregoire  and  in  a  very  few  days  we  had 
fixed  the  date  for  our  marriage  —  January  7th, 
1829. 

I  did  not  return  to  Sinsinawa  Mound  until  the 
spring  of  1831,  when  I  resumed  my  farming  and 
smelting  operations. 

I  omitted  to  state,  in  its  proper  place,  that  the 
Fox  Indians  came  over  to  Sinsinawa  Mound  in 
the  summer  of  1828  and  brought  with  them 
pieces  of  mineral  from  the  locality  of  the  pres 
ent  city  of  Dubuque  to  "swap",  or  exchange, 
for  my  store  goods.  I  followed  them  and  they 
took  me  down  to  the  Mississippi  Eiver  to  what 
is  now  East  Dubuque,  where  the  landing  has 
ever  since  been  as  at  present.  I  found  several 
canoes  there,  each  having  more  or  less  mineral 
(lead  ore)  in  them.  The  next  day  I  came  down 
with  my  ox-team  and  wagon  for  their  ore,  and  I 
continued  to  do  so  until  it  was  at  length  all  re 
moved.  I  then  lashed  two  canoes  together, 
forming  a  transport  in  which  to  cross  my  wagon 
and  oxen  to  and  from  the  other  shore.  I  there 
fore  made  the  first  wagon  tracks  and  the  first 
ferry  to  Dubuque,  if  not  to  any  part  of  the  State 
of  Iowa. 


96      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

One  day  of  that  year,  1828,  Mr.  Thomas  Jor 
dan  came  to  my  furnace  at  Sinsinawa  Mound 
and  said  he  had  been  referred  to  me  to  give  him 
information  as  to  where  he  could  locate  to  make 
a  farm.  I  told  him  to  follow  my  wagon  tracks 
which  would  lead  down  to  the  Mississippi  Eiver, 
where  there  was  a  rich  bottom  of  land  and  a 
good  spring,  and  where  I  had  lead  stacked  up 
for  shipment  to  St.  Louis.  I  told  him  that  it 
was  my  claim  but  that  I  would  give  it  to  him  if 
he  would  see  to  the  shipping  of  my  lead  on 
steamboats,  etc.,  when  occasion  should  offer. 
He  went  down  to  the  river,  built  himself  a  log 
house,  and  when  the  whites  took  possession  of 
these  Dubuque  lead  mines,  in  1833,  he  estab 
lished  the  first  regular  ferry  here.  In  1836  I 
bought  back  that  farm  and  ferry  from  the 
widow  and  heirs  of  Thomas  Jordan  for  fourteen 
thousand  dollars.  I  sold  about  two-thirds  of  it 
to  my  old  friend,  Hon.  Daniel  Webster,  at  the 
rate  of  twenty  thousand  dollars.114 

I  had  formed  a  warm  friendship  for  Mr.  Web 
ster  whilst  I  was  a  Delegate  in  Congress  in 
1835-6,  and  at  his  instance  he  furnished  the 
money  and  I  entered  wild  lands  in  partnership 
with  him.  I  sold  him  my  share  in  Madison  City, 
Wisconsin,  for  about  three  thousand  dollars.115 
I  made  some  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  my 
land  operations  with  him  in  about  one  year.  He 
sold  out  to  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  at 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  97 

Philadelphia  for  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Nich 
olas  Biddle  was  the  President  of  that  bank.  I 
afterwards  became  a  brother  United  States 
Senator  with  Mr.  Webster,  and  continued  such 
until  he  resigned  that  position  to  become  Secre 
tary  of  State  under  Mr.  Fillmore.  On  the  day 
that  he  accepted  the  position  he  called  me  out  of 
the  Senate  and  said:  "Mr.  Fillmore  has  request 
ed  me  to  make  up  his  cabinet  and  I  have  come  to 
ask  you  (although  we  differ  in  politics)  whom  I 
should  select  from  the  Northwest. "  I  replied: 
"It  is  a  high  compliment  to  me.  My  first  choice 
would  be,  Henry  S.  Geyer  of  St.  Louis;  my 
second,  Edward  Bates;  and  my  third,  John 
Scott  of  St.  Genevieve."  "That  will  do",  he 
said,  "and  I  thank  you."  He  left  me  and  im 
mediately  sent  a  telegram  tendering  Mr.  Geyer 
the  appointment  of  Secretary  of  War,  which 
Mr.  Geyer  as  promptly  declined.  He  then  sent 
a  dispatch  to  Edward  Bates  of  St.  Louis,  who 
was  absent  at  the  Springs  in  Virginia  for  his 
health.  But  his  son  forwarded  the  dispatch  to 
him  and  he  went  to  Washington  and  entered  Mr. 
Fillmore  ?s  cabinet.110  Mr.  Geyer  declined  the 
appointment  as  he  desired  to  become  a  Senator 
from  Missouri,  and  was  elected  to  the  place  the 
next  winter.  Edward  Bates  became  Attorney- 
General  under  President  Lincoln,  in  March, 
1861.  Thus  I  had  the  distinguished  honor  of 
making  one  of  the  members  of  Mr.  Fillmore  ys 


98      GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

cabinet,  in  July,  1849,  being  then  the  only  Demo 
cratic  Senator  from  Iowa.117  Mr.  Webster  died 
owing  me  about  Fifteen  Thousand  Dollars 
($15,000.),  but  he  had  been  a  good  friend  to  me 
and  I  never  pressed  him  for  its  payment. 

About  the  1st  of  June,  1836,  as  I  walked  down 
Pennsylvania  Avenue,  I  met  that  great  states 
man  [Mr.  Webster]  whom  I  saluted. 

In  that  slow,  deliberate  manner  of  his  he  said : 
"  Good  -  morning,  General  George  -  W.  -  Jones, 
where  -  are  -  you  -  walking  -  so  -  rapidly  -  this  - 
morning?" 

I  replied :  ' i  I  am  going  to  the  Department  to 
see  to  the  business  of  my  constituents." 

"Can't  -  you  -  turn  -  around  -  and  -  walk  - 
with  -  me  -  a  -  little  -  while  -  to  -  see  -  Mrs.  Web 
ster?" 

"Oh,  yes",  I  replied,  "certainly,  sir,  with  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure. ' ' 

He  added:  "I  have  some  friends  in  Massa 
chusetts  who  are  making  a  great  deal  of  money 
in  this  new  Territory  that  you  have  induced 
Congress  to  establish,  the  name  of  which  I  for 
get." 

"Wisconsin",  I  said. 

' '  Oh,  yes !  that  is  it ' ',  he  said.  "  If  I  can  raise 
the  money,  on  what  terms  would  you  go  in  with 
me  to  enter  public  lands  in  the  land  office,  lay 
off  town  sites,  and  engage  in  other  land  specula 
tions?" 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  99 

I  replied:  "Any  terms  that  are  reasonable, 
Mr.  Webster." 

He  asked :  i  i  Will  it  be  fair  for  me  to  furnish 
the  money  and  you  make  the  locations  and  di 
vide  equally  ? ' ' 

1  i  Oh  yes ' ',  said  I,  * '  certainly. ' '  I  would  have 
been  very  glad  to  take  twenty  or  thirty  percent 
for  my  services.  I  returned  home,  and  when  I 
got  back  to  Washington  at  the  next  session  of 
Congress  Mr.  Webster's  share  of  our  specula 
tions  netted  him  about  fifty  thousand  dollars,  as 
he  informed  me,  and  myself  about  twenty  thou 
sand  dollars.  He  had  borrowed  the  money  from 
the  bank  of  the  United  States  at  Philadelphia 
through  his  old  friend  Nicholas  Biddle.  My 
friendship  with  John  Quincy  Adams,  Daniel 
Webster,  John  C.  Calhoun,  Felix  Grundy,  and 
many  other  members  of  both  houses  of  Con 
gress,  dated  from  the  presentation  of  letters  of 
introduction  given  me  by  my  brother-in-law 
John  Scott,  who  had  been  in  Congress  for  eight 
years  as  Delegate  and  Representative  from  the 
Territory  and  State  of  Missouri,  respectively.118 

After  Millard  Fillmore  became  President  of 
the  United  States,  on  the  decease  of  my  old  and 
warm  personal  Black  Hawk  War  friend,  Zach- 
ary  Taylor,  the  first  time  I  met  him  (President 
Fillmore)  he  said  to  me:  "As  there  is  no  Whig 
in  Congress  from  Iowa,  I  want  you  to  do  me  the 
favor  to  recommend  to  my  cabinet,  friends  of 


100     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

my  administration  and  party  to  fill  the  office  in 
yonr  State. "  I  was  afterwards  consulted  by 
the  Cabinet  of  Mr.  Fillmore,  and  I  had  many 
personal  friends  among  the  Whigs  appointed  to 
fill  the  various  offices.  Before  he  became  Presi 
dent,  General  Dodge  and  I  called  (at  my 
suggestion  and  in  opposition  to  General  Dodge) 
upon  President  Taylor  and  asked  him  what  he 
intended  to  do  with  the  Democrats  in  Iowa  hold 
ing  offices.  He  said:  "I  will  be  frank  with  you 
gentlemen.  I  shall  remove  every  man  who 
voted  against  me  whilst  holding  office.'7  I  re 
plied:  "There  is  one  gentleman,  Mr.  Caleb  H. 
Booth,  who  succeeded  me  in  the  office  of  Sur 
veyor  General  after  your  election."  "That", 
he  replied,  "is  a  different  case.  Do  you  wish 
him  to  be  retained  in  office,  Colonel?"  address 
ing  me.  ' i  Yes,  sir,  I  do,  as  he  is  well  qualified  in 
every  way,  except  that  he  is  a  Democrat  and 
voted  for  General  Cass."  The  president  said: 
"He  shall  not  be  removed  if  you  wish  him  re 
tained";  and  he  kept  his  word,  voluntarily 
given  me,  and  continued  General  Booth  in  office, 
although  strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  have 
him  removed.119  President  Taylor  knew  me 
well  during  the  Black  Hawk  War,  when  I  was 
General  Henry  Dodge's  aid-de-camp;  and  he 
died  my  warm  friend. 

The  Hon.  John  M.  Clayton,  of  Delaware,  who 
was  Secretary  of  State  under  President  Taylor, 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  1Q1 

was  a  very  warm  friend  of  mine  and  consulted 
me  as  to  appointments  and  removals  made  in 
Iowa.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Com 
mittee  in  the  Senate  whilst  I  was  the  Delegate 
in  Congress  from  Michigan,  and  he  gave  me  his 
potential  influence  in  all  my  bills  before  the 
Senate.  Hence  I  used  my  best  efforts  with  Iowa 
legislators  in  having  a  county  named  for  him 
and  one  for  his  State.  For  similar  reasons,  I 
had  counties  named  for  my  devoted  friends,  Dr. 
Linn,  General  Jackson,  James  Buchanan, 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  General  Lewis  Cass,  Martin 
Van  Buren,  Eobert  E.  Lee,  and  others. 

When  I  went  to  Washington  City  as  a  Dele 
gate  to  Congress  from  Michigan  Territory,  I 
was  furnished  with  strong  letters  of  introduc 
tion  from  my  brother-in-law,  the  Hon.  John 
Scott,  to  many  of  his  old  friends  and  Congres 
sional  associates  with  whom  he  had  served  for 
eight  years.120  Among  them  were  such  noted 
men  as  John  Quincy  Adams,  John  C.  Calhoun, 
Daniel  Webster,  Martin  Van  Buren,  and  many 
others. 

Mr.  Adams  was  a  devoted  and  grateful  friend 
to  Mr.  Scott,  who  had  given  him  the  vote  of  the 
State  of  Missouri  to  make  him  President  of  the 
United  States,  in  February,  1825.  That  vote 
broke  him  down,  however,  politically  and  caused 
his  defeat  by  Edward  Bates  for  reelection  as 
Representative  from  the  State  in  1826  —  the 


102     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

people  of  the  State  being  devoted  to  General 
Andrew  Jackson  as  the  chief  competitor  of  Mr. 
Adams  in  the  election  by  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives.  I  went  to  Washington  City  from 
Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  with  my  life-long 
friend,  Dr.  Linn,  then  the  colleague  of  Hon. 
Thomas  H.  Benton  in  the  United  States  Senate. 
At  the  Eelay  House,  a  few  miles  out  of  Balti 
more,  we  met  Hon.  James  Buchanan,  and  the 
Hon.  William  E.  King,  of  Alabama,  afterwards 
Vice  President  of  the  United  States  during 
General  Franklin  Pierce 's  term.  Dr.  Linn  in 
troduced  me  to  these  two  distinguished  Senators 
and  made  them  both  my  friends,  which  they 
continued  to  be  as  long  as  they  lived. 

The  next  day  (Sunday)  after  our  arrival  Mr. 
Linn  and  I  went  to  the  White  House  to  pay  our 
respects  to  the  President,  General  Jackson. 
The  old  hero  on  being  introduced  to  me  as  Dele 
gate-elect  from  Michigan  Territory  immediately 
remarked:  "If  you  were  from  Missouri,  Colonel 
George  Jones,  instead  of  Michigan,  I  would  say 
that  I  had  met  you  before  at  Lexington,  Ken 
tucky.  "  "Yes,  Mr.  President,  I  am  the  same 
person,  who  acted  as  Sergeant  of  your  Body 
Guard  as  you  passed  through  Kentucky  and 
Lexington  on  your  way  as  Senator-elect  from 
Tennessee,  in  November,  1823.  I  often  called  to 
see  you  with  Stokely  at  Keene's  Phoenix  Hotel, 
during  your  short  sojourn  in  that  city,  and  I  was 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  103 

one  of  the  managers  of  the  great  dinner  and  ball 
that  was  given  to  you  and  your  family  on  that 
memorable  occasion.  You  were  escorted 
through  Lexington,  Lafayette,  and  other  coun 
ties,  by  many  of  their  admiring  citizens  and 
military  companies.  I  recollect  your  family 
rode  in  a  large  carriage  drawn  by  four  blooded 
Packolet  grey  horses,  driven  by  a  negro  man 
having  a  footman  by  his  side,  and  that  you  had 
another  negro  man  as  avant  courier  who  rode 
another  grey  Packolet,  which  you  would  occa 
sionally  get  out  and  ride  yourself,  the  negro 
outrider  getting  onto  the  carriage.  Inside  of 
the  carriage  were  Mrs.  Jackson,  her  niece,  Miss 
Donaldson,  and  a  negro  girl  lady's-maid/7 
From  that  time  on  General  Jackson  was  my 
friend,  always  addressing  me  as  "My  son",  and 
never  refusing  me  any  request  that  I  made  of 
him. 

When  my  bill  passed  to  divide  Michigan  and 
establish  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  I  asked 
Honorable  Messrs.  Sevier  and  White,  of  Arkan 
sas  and  Florida,  respectively,  the  only  two  other 
Delegates  then  in  Congress  beside  myself,  how 
I  should  act  to  secure  the  appointments  of  Gov 
ernor  and  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  the 
three  Supreme  Judges,  United  States  Attor 
ney,  Secretary,  Marshal,  Commissioners,  etc. 
"Why",  replied  Sevier,  "you  can  not  get  any  of 
the  offices  for  your  constituents.  White  and  I 


104     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

never  got  any  one  of  those  appointments  for 
any  of  ours/'  White  said:  "I  never  obtained 
a  single  office  for  any  one  of  my  friends  in 
Florida. "  "  But ' ',  I  replied,  ' '  General  Jackson 
is  a  warm  personal  friend  of  mine,  always  calls 
me  his  son,  and  I  think  he  will  allow  me  to  have 
some  of  these  fourteen  or  fifteen  offices  for  some 
of  my  constituents."  Sevier  said:  "General 
Jackson  and  my  father  were  intimate  and  warm 
friends  in  Tennessee,  and  yet  I  have  never  had 
an  office  given  to  any  one  of  my  constituents." 
I  left  my  colleagues,  as  we  termed  each  other, 
went  to  my  seat  and  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  claiming  that  the 
offices  created  for  the  new  Territory  of  Wiscon 
sin  should  be  conferred  upon  her  citizens  and 
not  upon  the  citizens  of  the  States,  as  had 
always  been  the  custom.  I  sent  my  letter  to 
President  Jackson.121  The  next  day  his  private 
Secretary,  Major  Donaldson,  came  to  my  seat 
in  the  House  and  said:  "Colonel  Jones,  the 
General  wants  to  see  you."  "What  General 
wants  to  see  me?"  "General  Jackson,  the 
President  of  the  United  States.  Didn't  you 
write  him  yesterday  a  long  and  threatening 
saucy  letter  ?  You  have  written  him  such  a  let 
ter  as  no  member  of  Congress  dare  write  him". 
"I  hope  it  was  not  considered  threatening". 
"It  was,  and  you  have  put  the  old  hero  into  a 
rage;  he  is  frothing  at  the  mouth,  and  said, 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  105 

1  Donaldson,  go  and  tell  Colonel  Jones  to  come 
and  see  me ;  I  want  to  see  if  he  can  talk  to  me  as 
fiercely  as  he  writes.'  You  had  better  go  im 
mediately  and  make  your  peace  with  the  raging 
old  man,  if  you  expect  to  live  in  this  city  for  the 
future."  Donaldson  saw  that  I  was  alarmed, 
and  wished  to  add  to  my  fears,  which  he  did,  for 
I  well  knew  how  the  General  was  respected  and 
feared  by  all  who  knew  him. 

I  immediately  went  out  of  the  House,  jumped 
into  a  hack,  and  ordered  the  driver  to  take  me  to 
the  White  House.  I  asked  the  messenger  at  the 
President's  door  if  I  could  see  his  Excellency. 
"Yes,  sir,  he  is  alone  and  is  expecting  you."  I 
entered,  my  knees  trembling  as  I  approached 
the  dreaded  man.  He  was  sitting  with  his  two 
feet  on  the  table  and  smoking  a  corn  cob  pipe 
with  a  cane  stem  four  or  five  feet  long.  He  said 
"Come  in,  my  son,  take  a  seat",  in  the  kindest 
and  most  affectionate  terms.  I  immediately  sat 
down,  as  I  would  have  fallen  if  I  had  not,  I  was 
so  frightened  at  Donaldson's  made-up  story. 
He  said:  "I  have  received  and  read  with  inter 
est  your  letter  (which  does  honor  to  your  head 
and  heart)  on  the  subject  of  the  appointments 
to  office,  in  the  new  Territory  of  Wisconsin. 
These  offices  are  of  great  importance,  and  ever 
since  the  organization  of  Territories  have  been 
given  to  the  citizens  of  the  States.  The  Gov 
ernor,  for  instance,  is  ex-officio  Commissioner 


106     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

and  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  and  Com 
mander  of  the  Militia  of  the  Territory.  Have 
you  any  constituent  qualified  to  fill  such  an 
office?"  "Yes,  Mr.  President,  I  have  the  best 
man  in  the  United  States  for  that  office,  a  man 
who  has  the  confidence  of  and  is  believed  by  the 
people."  "What's  his  name?"  inquired  the 
President.  "General  Henry  Dodge",  I  replied. 
Looking  up  to  the  ceiling  of  his  room,  he  said: 
"I  don't  know  of  any  General  Dodge."  I  re 
plied:  "He  is  the  man,  Mr.  President,  whose 
aid-de-camp  I  was  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  and 
who  put  an  end  to  that  war.  He  is  now  Colonel 
of  the  First  Eegiment  of  the  United  States 
Dragoons. "  "  Oh ' ',  said  the  President, 1 1  is  that 
the  man  you  want?"  "Yes,  sir,  and  he  is  the 
man  my  constituents  want,  although  they  do  not 
yet  know  the  bill  creating  the  Territory  has 
passed."  "Well,  my  son,  you  shall  have  him, 
notwithstanding  that  my  Cabinet  are  opposed 
to  your  having  any  of  these  appointments. 
Make  me  now  a  list  of  all  the  offices  to  be  filled 
in  Wisconsin  and  bring  it  to  me.  I  will  give  you 
the  privilege  of  naming  most  of  them."  I 
thanked  him  most  heartily,  and  leaving  the  old 
veteran,  felicitated  myself  upon  my  good  for 
tune. 

The  next  day  I  returned  to  see  the  President 
with  a  list  of  offices  to  be  filled  by  him,  with  the 
salary  attached  to  each.  He  read  it  over  care- 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  107 

fully  and  said:  "I'll  give  you  the  right  to  name 
all  of  these  offices  except  the  judges,  who  are  the 
expounders  of  the  law,  etc.,  although  my  Cab 
inet  will  be  greatly  opposed  to  my  doing  so. 
And  you  may  go  over  to  the  State  Department 
and  look  over  the  recommendations  on  file  there 
for  judges  in  Wisconsin.  You  may  select  the 
chief  and  one  other  justice.  The  third  I  prom 
ised  to  give  our  minister  to  France,  Mr.  Eives, 
for  Judge  Irvin. ' ' 

I  again  took  my  leave,  with  a  heart  overflow 
ing  with  gratitude  and  pride,  and  went  directly 
into  the  office  of  Mr.  Forsyth,  of  Georgia,  the 
Secretary  of  State,  and  said  that  I  wanted  to 
see  the  recommendations  on  file  for  judges  in 
Wisconsin.  Mr.  Forsyth  said:  "Those  files  are 
sacred  and  not  to  be  seen  by  any  one  except  a 
cabinet  officer. ' ' 

"Why,  Mr.  Secretary",  I  replied,  "The  Pres 
ident  has  just  given  me  permission  to  see  these 
recommendations. ' ' 

6 '  Well,  sir,  you  can  see  them  all. ' '  His  clerk, 
Mr.  Cheever,  was  summoned  in,  to  whom  he 
said:  "Take  Colonel  Jones  into  your  office  and 
show  him  all  the  recommendations  on  file  for 
the  offices  of  judges  in  Wisconsin."  Mr.  Cheev 
er  replied  by  reminding  Secretary  Forsyth  that 
those  papers  were  never  seen  except  by  the 
President  and  members  of  his  Cabinet.  * '  '  Old 
Hickory'  has  given  Colonel  Jones  the  privilege 


108     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

and  it  would  cost  you  and  me  our  offices  if  we 
refused  it  to  the  Delegate  from  the  Territory." 

The  next  day  or  two  thereafter,  as  I  entered 
the  Senate  Chamber,  I  was  stopped  by  Mr. 
Buchanan,  who  called  Senator  Clayton  and 
Linn,  of  Missouri,  to  hear  what  he  had  to  say  to 
me.  "This  morning  I  called  upon  my  good 
friend,  President  Jackson,  to  get  him  to  appoint 
my  old  friend  Mr.  Frazer  to  a  judgeship  in  the 
new  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  which  this  young 
gentleman  has  induced  us  to  create.  General 
Jackson,  who  tendered  me  the  appointment  of 
Secretary  of  State  when  he  was  elected  to  the 
Presidency  in  1829,  said,  'If  you  want  your 
friend  appointed  you  must  get  Colonel  Jones, 
the  Delegate,  to  recommend  him  to  me.  He  pro 
tests  against  the  appointment  of  any  man  to 
office  in  this  new  Territory  unless  he  is  recom 
mended  by  himself.  If  he  will  recommend  your 
friend,  Mr.  Buchanan,  I  will  appoint  him,  and 
not  otherwise,  as  I  have  so  promised  him'.  I 
have  been  some  twenty  years  in  Congress  and  I 
have  now  to  come,  cap  in  hand,  to  this  young 
gentleman  to  get  his  consent  to  the  appointment 
of  an  old  and  worthy  friend  to  office  in  this  new 
Territory.  Now,  Clayton,  you  are  an  old  friend 
of  Frazer 's  and  I  want  you  to  speak  a  good 
word  in  his  behalf  to  your  friend  Colonel 
Jones." 

"Well,  Colonel",  said  Clayton,  "I  have  noth- 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  109 

ing  to  do  with  these  damned  Loco  Focos,  but  as 
you  and  I  are  good  friends,  I  will  say  that 
Frazer  is  one  of  the  best  lawyers  that  I  have 
ever  known.  We  have  practised  together  in 
Delaware  and  Pennsylvania  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  He  would  do  honor  to  your  Territory 
and  its  courts  if  appointed  one  of  your  judges. 
He  is  a  splendid  gentleman,  and  my  only  ob 
jection  to  him  is  that,  like  our  friend  Buchanan, 
he  is  a  Loco  Foco  in  politics.  His  appointment 
would  do  honor  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States." 

"Well",  said  I,  "it  is  not  far  to  Lancaster. 
Write  to  your  friend,  Mr.  Frazer,  to  come  here 
that  I  may  see  him  and  that  I  may  be  enabled  to 
tell  my  constituents  that  I  know  the  man  whom 
I  may  recommend  for  their  judge."  Mr.  Bu 
chanan  wrote  to  his  friend,  Mr.  Frazer,  and  in  a 
few  days  he  called  at  my  lodgings  at  Dawson's 
boarding  house  and  introduced  his  friend  to  me. 
I  was  delighted  with  his  dignified  bearing,  and 
invited  him  and  Mr.  Buchanan  to  dine  with  me 
that  day.  Mr.  Buchanan,  having  a  previous  en 
gagement,  declined,  but  Mr.  Frazer  accepted 
and  dined  with  me  that  evening  at  six  o'clock. 
He  refused  to  drink  any  of  our  various  wines, 
saying  that  he  had  not  tasted  any  kind  of  spirits 
for  twenty  years.  After  sitting  with  me  for  an 
hour  or  so  at  the  table,  I  said:  "Mr.  Frazer,  I 
will  send  a  note  this  evening  to  the  President 


110     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

and  you  will  be  appointed  a  judge  of  the  Su 
preme  Court  to-morrow. " 

As  I  stated,  lie  was  appointed,  and  I  gave  him 
letters  of  introduction  to  my  friends  in  Wis 
consin  whom  I  had  had  appointed  to  the  offices 
of  Governor,  Secretary,  and  Marshal,  and  to 
other  citizens.  He  reached  Wisconsin  before  I 
did  and  went  to  the  hotel,  at  Mineral  Point,  of 
Mrs.  McArthur,  the  sister  of  Mr.  Linn  and  the 
half-sister  of  Governor  Dodge.  On  reaching 
there  Mrs.  McArthur  received  him  cordially, 
saying  that  George  had  written  and  told  her 
all  about  him.  He  complained  to  her  that  the 
waters  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  had 
affected  his  bowels,  and  that  he  was  then  suffer 
ing  considerable  pain.  She  stepped  out  into  her 
pantry  and  soon  returned  with  a  large  glass  of 
strong  hot  brandy  milk-toddy  with  a  little  laud 
anum  in  it  and  gave  it  to  the  judge,  saying  that 
it  would  relieve  him.  If  she  had  told  him  that 
the  glass  had  brandy  in  it  he  would  not  have 
touched  it.  But  he  drank  it  and  was  greatly  re 
lieved  of  his  pain.  He,  however,  went  from  Mrs. 
McArthur 's  private  parlor  into  the  bar  room, 
called  for  some  liquor,  and  that  day  became  in 
toxicated,  and  continued  to  drink  during  his 
term  of  office,  the  people  meantime  sending  me 
petitions  praying  for  his  removal  from  office. 
The  day  after  reaching  Mrs.  McArthur 's  he  had 
gone  to  Church,  and  in  the  absence  of  the  min- 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  111 

ister,  read  the  Episcopal  service,  although  very 
much  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  I  showed 
the  letters  and  petitions  which  I  received  from 
the  people,  at  the  next  session  of  Congress,  to 
my  good  friends  Buchanan  and  Clayton,  who 
were  greatly  surprised,  as  neither  of  them  had 
ever  heard  of  Mr.  Frazer  drinking  anything  for 
over  twenty  years  before  and  during  their  in 
timate  acquaintance  with  him. 

At  the  earnest  entreaty  of  my  old  and  valued 
friend,  Governor  John  Eeynolds  of  Illinois,  and 
his  colleagues  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
I  also  nominated  Captain  Charles  Dunn  of 
Southern  Illinois  for  Chief  Justice  of  the  Su 
preme  Court  of  Wisconsin.  I  had  never  been 
introduced  to  him,  although  I  had  served  with 
him  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  and  recollected  see 
ing  him  lying  at  the  point  of  death  with  a  gun 
shot  wound  through  his  body.  I  knew,  too,  that 
he  had  married  Mary  Shrader,  the  daughter  of 
Judge  Otto  Shrader,  who  had  resided  at  Ste. 
Genevieve,  Missouri.  Mary  was  educated,  upon 
the  death  of  her  father,  who  had  died  poor,  by 
my  father,  brother-in-law,  and  Governor  Dodge, 
who  paid  her  expenses  at  a  school  in  Kentucky. 
How  strange!  This  Judge  Charles  Dunn,  al 
though  a  learned  lawyer,  was  greatly  addicted 
to  the  intemperate  use  of  liquor;  .  .  .  . 
but  he  never  touched  liquor  during  the  sessions 
of  his  court  and  was  esteemed  most  highly  by 


112     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

the  bar  and  all  who  knew  him.  We  became  de 
voted  friends,  he  having  introduced  himself  to 
me  when  we  met  as  stage  passengers  in  Illinois 
a  few  weeks  after  I  had  had  him  made  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin. 

In  the  fall  of  1842  I  was  summoned  as  a  grand 
juror  in  Grant  county,  Wisconsin,  and  on  call 
ing  to  see  the  judge  at  his  hotel,  he  said  he  noted 
that  I  had  been  drawn  as  a  grand  juror  and 
would,  the  next  morning,  appoint  me  as  fore 
man  ;  and  he  did  so,  although  I  begged  him  not 
to,  as  I  had  never  been  on  a  jury  in  my  life. 
Upon  his  invitation,  I  slept  with  him  during  that 
service  as  foreman  of  the  jury.  As  we  were 
about  to  retire,  he  asked  me  how  I  was  getting 
on  at  farming.  " Badly",  I  said,  "as  all  that  I 
raise  costs  me  twice  as  much  as  it  is  worth.  " 
"What  is  your  chance  for  restoration  to  the 
office  of  Surveyor  General?"  (I  had  been  re 
moved  from  this  office  by  President  Tyler  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1841) .  ' i  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  I 
shall  be  restored  to  the  office  if  Mr.  Van  Buren, 
as  is  now  expected,  shall  be  re-nominated  and 
reflected  President  of  the  United  States ' ',  I  re 
plied. 

"Well",  he  continued,  "You  made  me  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin,  and 
I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  returning,  in  a 
slight  degree,  the  favor  you  conferred  upon  me. 
My  Clerk,  Mr.  McSherry,  is  in  the  last  stages  of 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  113 

consumption  and  his  physicians  say  is  about  to 
die.  I  will  be  glad  to  appoint  you  as  his  suc 
cessor.  I  understand  you  are  poor,  and  a  clerk 
ship  is  worth  at  least  twice  as  much  as  the  Sur 
veyor  General's  office."  The  next  morning  at 
about  sunrise  he  asked  me  if  I  was  awake^ 
"Yes,  Judge,  I  have  not  slept  a  moment  all 
night. "  "  Were  you  ill  ? '  '  "  No,  but  I  thought 
all  night  of  your  generous  offer  to  make  me  your 
clerk,  and  as  I  was  once  made  clerk  of  a  United 
States  Court  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  I  will  accept 
your  offer." 

In  a  day  or  so  after  I  returned  home  to  Sin- 
sinawa  Mound  he  sent  to  me  my  commission  by  a 
lawyer  friend  of  his  of  the  name  of  Lattimer, 
who  would  go  to  Mineral  Point  and  take  charge 
of  the  office  for  me,  pending  the  removal  of  my 
family  thither,  Mr.  McSherry  having  died  a  day 
or  two  before.122  I  entered  upon  the  discharge 
of  the  duties  of  my  office  as  clerk  and  continued 
the  same  until  March,  1845,  when  I  was  restored 
to  the  office  of  Surveyor  General  by  my  old  and 
noble  friend,  President  J.  K.  Polk,  at  the  in 
stance  of  General  Henry  Dodge,  who  was  then 
the  Delegate  in  Congress  from  Wisconsin, 
President  Polk  sent  word  to  General  Dodge  by 
Senator  Lucius  Lyon  of  Michigan  that  he 
wished  to  see  him.  The  General  called  and  the 
President  asked  him  what  he  wished  to  have 
done  with  the  office  holders  in  Wisconsin.  The 

8 


114     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

General  thanked  him  and  said:  "I  desire  to  see 
my  friend  General  Jones  restored  to  the  office 
of  Surveyor  General  of  Wisconsin. ' '  The  Pres 
ident  looked  into  the  blue  book  and  remarked 
that  there  was  no  such  office  in  Wisconsin. 
"The  office  is  located  at  Dubuque,  in  Iowa", 
said  the  General,  turning  over  the  page.  The 
President  asked:  "Is  this  General  George  W. 
Jones  the  same  man  whom  I  knew  well  as  Col 
onel  George  W.  Jones,  the  Delegate  in  Congress 
from  Michigan?"  "He  is  the  same."  The 
President  remarked :  ' i  That  young  gentleman  is 
well  known  by  Mrs.  Polk  and  myself,  as  he  has 
been  for  35  years  and  is  esteemed  by  us  as  a 
younger  brother  or  son.  He  can  have  any  office 
that  he  desires  at  my  hands. "  "  He  only  wishes 
to  be  restored  to  the  office  to  which  he  was  ap 
pointed  by  President  Van  Buren  in  December, 
1839.  "123 

General  Albert  G.  Ellis,  whom  I  had  appoint 
ed  as  Surveyor  General  in  July,  1838,  when  I 
had  the  office  created,  determined  to  resign,  and 
came  to  my  house  at  Sinsinawa  Mound  and  said 
to  me  that  as  I  had  secured  the  appointment  for 
him  in  July,  1838,  he  thought  it  was  proper  that 
he  should  recommend  me  as  his  successor.  He 
urged  my  acceptance  of  the  same,  to  which  I 
consented.  He  wrote  his  letter  of  resignation 
and  sent  it  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Martin  Van  Buren,  through  the 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  H5 

Honorable  Lewis  F.  Linn,  the  "Model  Senator 
from  Missouri ",  and  I  was  renominated  to  the 
office  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate  unanimously 
on  the  same  day  that  Mr.  Linn  received  General 
Ellis'  resignation  of  the  office. 

In  the  spring  of  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War,  I  built  a  log  fort  or  block 
house  for  the  protection  of  my  family  (consist 
ing  of  my  wife,  children,  some  ten  or  twelve 
slaves,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  hired  men)  and 
neighbors.  My  wife  being  very  much  afraid  of 
Indians,  I  sent  her  with  our  servant  Charlotte 
to  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  her  old  home. 

Thomas  McKnight,  the  then  agent  of  the  lead 
mines,  sent  an  express  messenger  informing  me 
that  my  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Felix  St.  Vrain,  the 
Agent  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  at  Rock 
Island,  had  either  been  taken  prisoner  or  was 
killed  by  a  war  party  some  thirty  miles  east  of 
Galena,  with  four  or  five  other  white  men  en 
route  from  Fort  Dixon  to  Galena.  I  immediate 
ly  mounted  my  horse,  and  with  my  holsters, 
double-barrelled  shot-gun  and  sword,  put  out 
for  Galena  to  accompany  a  command  of  cavalry 
which  was  to  leave  that  place  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians.  On  my  arrival  at  Galena,  about  four 
or  five  hours  after  the  cavalry  company  had  left, 
my  friends  endeavored  to  dissuade  me  from  go 
ing  alone,  as  I  would  not  be  able  to  overtake 
the  horse  company  and  might  be  murdered. 


116     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

But  I  persisted  in  going  and  overtook  the  cav 
alry  company,  commanded  by  Captain  Stephen- 
son,  near  where  the  party  had  been  murdered 
by  the  Indians.  I  found  the  mutilated  body  of 
Mr.  St.  Vrain,  his  head,  feet,  hands  and  heart 
having  been  cut  off  and  out,  and  the  most  of  the 
flesh  of  the  body,  by  the  Indians,  who  took  them 
to  their  headquarters,  where  they  ate  his  flesh, 
having  very  little  food,  and  gave  his  heart,  cut 
up  into  small  bits  of  pieces,  to  their  young  boys 
to  swallow  without  chewing.  He  was  consid 
ered  the  bravest  who  could  swallow  the  largest 
piece. 

These  facts  were  communicated  to  me  by 
Madam  Mayott,  the  French  interpretress  for 
the  Winnebagoes.  She  had  in  charge  two  young 
ladies,  the  Misses  Hall,  who  had  been  taken 
prisoners  by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  who  were 
afterwards  returned  to  their  friends  in  Illinois 
through  the  influence  of  my  chief,  General 
Dodge. 

I  found  the  body  of  Mr.  St.  Vrain  and  knew  it 
by  the  color  of  his  hair,  which  was  black,  and 
by  his  clothing,  his  papers,  money,  etc.  They 
did  not  even  take  his  money,  silver,  gold,  or 
notes.  He  was  a  stout  man  and  as  the  Indians 
cut  off  most  of  his  flesh  for  food,  his  body  was 
very  much  decomposed,  and  was  being  eaten  by 
carrion  crows,  which  we  saw  flying  around  and 
over  the  body. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  H7 

The  story  of  the  massacre  is  as  follows : —  It 
seems  that  Mr.  St.  Vrain  could  easily  have  made 
his  escape,  as  Mr.  Higgenbotham,  Mr.  Frederick 
Stahl,  and  another  man  did,  for  he  (Mr.  St. 
Vrain)  rode  a  very  fine  horse  which  he  tried  in 
vain  to  stop,  hallooing  to  the  Indians  that  he 
was  their  "father"  (agent).  They  answered, 
"We  don't  care  who  you  are",  and  kept  shoot 
ing  at  him,  one  ball  entering  the  back  of  his 
neck  and  breaking  the  bone.  In  that  skirmish 
Mr.  St.  Vrain  and  three  others  were  killed  and 
scalped,  and  three  made  good  their  escape. 
The  Indians  took  the  head,  feet  and  hands  of 
Mr.  St.  Vrain  to  their  headquarters  near  Lake 
Koshkonong,  and  used  them  in  their  war  dances 
as  trophies.  A  big  chief  swung  Mr.  St.  Vrain 's 
head  between  his  knees  while  the  other  Indians 
held  and  brandished  his  hands  and  feet  in  their 
dances. 

When  the  savages  were  first  discovered, 
drawn  up  in  battle  array,  Mr.  St.  Vrain  ad 
vised  his  companions  not  to  attempt  to  make 
their  escape  by  flight,  as  the  Indians  knew  the 
country  well,  but  to  follow  him  up  to  them,  add 
ing  that  when  they  recognized  him  as  their 
agent,  who  had  always  been  exceedingly  kind  to 
them,  they  would  not  do  them  harm.  But  one  of 
the  whites  in  the  rear  got  frightened,  turned  his 
horse,  and  tried  to  make  his  escape.  The  In 
dians  then  gave  the  war  whoop,  frightened  the 


118     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

rest  of  the  party,  and  gave  chase.  Black  Hawk 
became  incensed  at  Mr.  St.  Vrain,  believing  that 
he  had  gone  down  to  St.  Louis  and  brought  up 
Gen'l  Atkinson  and  the  army,  as  Mr.  St.  Vrain 
had  been  passenger  with  them  from  St.  Louis. 
He  urged  Gen'l  Clark,  the  Superintendent  of 
Indian  Affairs,  and  the  government  authorities, 
not  to  make  war  against  the  Indians,  but  to  give 
him  provisions,  blankets,  tobacco,  &c.,  that  he 
might  make  presents  to  the  Indians  in  that  way. 
He  thought  he  could  induce  Black  Hawk  and  his 
band  to  cross  back  from  Illinois  into  what  is 
now  Iowa,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  save  the 
horrors  of  a  bloody  Indian  war  and  many  mas 
sacres. 

I  met  Col.  Henry  Dodge  that  day,  thirty-five 
or  forty  miles  east  of  Galena  with  his  command, 
and  we  were  together  the  most  of  the  day.  He 
expressed  great  surprise  that  I  had  ridden  alone 
through  the  woods  and  Indian  country  at  the 
imminent  risk  of  my  life.  We  had  not  met  for 
nearly  a  year,  and  were  pleased  to  see  each 
other. 

A  few  days  after  this  meeting,  his  son,  Cap 
tain  H.  L.  Dodge,  and  his  adjutant,  W.  W. 
Woodbridge,  came  to  my  house  one  night  with  a 
message  from  General  Dodge,  requesting  me  to 
join  his  command  and  to  act  as  his  aid-de-camp. 
I  felt  highly  complimented  and  readily  assented, 
mounted  my  horse,  armed  with  my  double- 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  H9 

barrelled  shotgun,  my  holsters  and  pistols  and 
sword,  and  rode  with  them  to  Fort  Union,  Gen 
eral  Dodge's  place  of  residence.  He  received 
me  most  cordially  and  said:  "I  have  received 
an  order  from  General  Henry  Atkinson,  com 
mander  of  the  Army,  to  take  command  of 
General  Posey's  brigade  of  Illinois  Militia,  and 
I  want  a  man  upon  whom  I  can  rely  to  act  as  my 
aid-de-camp."  We  were  brother  officials  and 
friends  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  where  I  was 
the  Clerk  of  the  United  States  Court,  and  he  the 
Marshal  of  the  State.  He  said :  "Your  brothers 
John  and  Augustus,  and  your  two  brothers-in- 
law,  John  and  Andrew  Scott,  served  under  me 
in  the  War  of  1812." 

The  next  morning  we  set  out  together  for  the 
encampment  of  General  Posey's  brigade.  He 
pointed  out  to  me  the  place  where  Mr.  Auber 
had  been  shot  and  scalped  by  a  party  of  Indians, 
a  few  moments  after  he  (General  Dodge)  met 
him.  It  seems  that  Auber  kept  along  the  big 
wagon  road  after  passing  the  General,  whilst 
the  latter  had  taken  the  near  cut  and  path,  the 
hypothenuse  of  the  right  angle.  General  Dodge 
was  thus  saved  and  Auber  lost  his  life.  Before 
reaching  Captain  William  S.  Hamilton's  resi 
dence,  General  Dodge  heard  the  discharge  of 
rifles,  and  in  a  few  moments  Auber 's  horse  came 
running  back  and  passed  General  Dodge,  who 
saw  the  blood  of  Auber  on  the  horse.  He  gal- 


120     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

loped  up  to  Hamilton's  residence  and  gave  the 
order  to  saddle  up  and  mount  horses.  He  then 
gave  chase  to  the  eighteen  or  twenty  Indians, 
overtook  them  crouched  under  the  bank  of  the 
Pecatonica  Eiver,  and  charged  upon  them.  He 
killed  their  chief  with  his  belt  pistol,  his  rifle 
having  got  wet  in  crossing  the  creek.  His  son- 
in-law,  Captain  Paschal  Bequette,  in  that  battle 
shot  and  killed  two  of  the  war  party,  and  so 
gained  the  friendship  of  the  General. 

As  we  rode  together  I  saw  a  man  run  into 
Colonel  Hamilton's  house  and  fort,  and  soon 
saw  Hamilton  (son  of  Alex.  Hamilton,  who  was 
killed  by  Aaron  Burr)  emerge  and  run  after  us, 
hallooing  to  us  to  stop.  I  told  General  Dodge 
that  Hamilton  was  following  us  and  beckoning 
us  to  stop.  He  said:  "Damn  him,  I  do  not  care 
about  seeing  him."  But  I  advised  him  to  stop 
and  he  halted,  but  did  not  turn  his  horse.  Col 
onel  Hamilton  came  up  and  spoke  to  the 
General,  who  threw  his  leg  over  his  horse,  and 
drawing  out  his  two  pistols  and  marching  up  to 
Hamilton,  offered  him  the  butt  ends  of  his  pis 
tols,  saying,  "Take  your  choice,  sir,  take  your 
choice ' ',  and  advancing  all  the  time  as  Hamilton 
walked  back  and  holding  up  his  hands  said, 
' i  General,  I  do  not  want  to  fight. ' '  The  General 
then  said,  "Damn  you,  obey  my  orders  here 
after",  and  then  jumped  on  his  splendid  horse 
(Big  Black),  and  we  rode  up  to  the  encampment 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  121 

of  General  Posey's  Brigade  and  to  the  Gen 
eral's  head  quarters. 

He  told  General  Posey  of  the  order  he  had  re 
ceived  from  General  Atkinson  through  Colonel 
Davenport  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  to  transfer  Po 
sey's  Brigade  to  him;  but  he  said:  "I  will  not 
take  the  command  of  your  troops  unless  they 
will  voluntarily  elect  me  over  you  as  their  com 
mander.  Have  your  brigade  drawn  up  in  a 
hollow  square  that  I  may  address  them."  The 
hollow  square  was  formed  and  Generals  Dodge 
and  Posey  addressed  them.  General  Dodge 
said:  "If  you  choose  to  elect  me  as  your  com 
mander,  I  will  lead  you  to  victory,  if  we  can 
overtake  Black  Hawk  and  his  army."  General 
Posey  made  a  pathetic  appeal  to  his  command, 
imploring  them  not  to  disgrace  and  forever  ruin 
him  by  voting  for  a  stranger  to  be  their  com 
mander.  The  voting  resulted,  by  one  company 
majority  of  Major  John  Dement 's  battalion,  in 
favor  of  General  Posey's  remaining  as  their 
commander.  After  the  election  was  over,  I  saw 
an  officer  on  horseback  making  a  speech  to  his 
men  and  I  rode  up  to  see  and  hear  what  was  go 
ing  on.  It  was  Major  John  Dement,  a  stranger 
to  me,  upbraiding  his  company  or  battalion,  for 
not  voting  for  General  Dodge,  who  would  lead 
them  on  to  victory  and  retrieve  the  honor  which 
a  short  time  before  they  had  lost  in  an  Indian 
fight  under  Posey.  He  said:  "I  am  ashamed  of 


122     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

you  and  have  a  mind  to  resign  my  command. " 
Some  man  sung  out :  ' '  Do,  do. ' '  He  took  off  Ms 
cap  and  taking  out  Ms  commission  as  their  Ma 
jor,  tore  it  into  pieces,  threw  it  down,  and  spat 
on  it. 

The  next  winter,  Miss  Mary  Dodge,  the  fourth 
daughter  of  General  Dodge,  went  to  Vandalia 
to  spend  the  season  with  her  Aunt,  Mrs.  W. 
Linn  (a  cousin  of  General  Dodge)  and  there  be 
came  acquainted  with  this  same  Major  Dement, 
who  fell  in  love  with  her  and  married  her.  They 
had  a  large  family  of  children,  one  of  whom, 
Henry  Dodge  Dement,  was  for  several  years  the 
Secretary  of  the  State  of  Illinois.  His  mother, 
Mrs.  Dement,  died  in  her  home  at  Dixon,  a  few 
years  since.  I  could  relate  many  anecdotes  of 
General  Dodge  and  his  family,  but  it  would  spin 
out  this  narrative  to  too  great  a  length. 

After  the  Black  Hawk  War,  a  committee  was 
sent  to  me  at  my  home  at  Sinsinawa  Mound, 
informing  me  that  I  had  been  nominated  as  can 
didate  for  Colonel  to  succeed  General  Dodge  as 
commander  of  the  militia  of  Iowa  County,  in 
Michigan,  against  Captain  William  S.  Hamilton 
(above  mentioned),  a  son  of  Alexander  who  was 
a  member  of  General  Washington's  cabinet.  I 
promptly  declined  the  nomination,  saying  that 
although  I  had  been  General  Dodge's  aid-de 
camp  I  knew  but  little  of  military  affairs  and 
that  I  had  much  business  at  home  to  attend  to. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  123 

The  two  gentlemen  after  spending  the  night 
with  me  returned  to  Mineral  Point,  and  a  few 
days  thereafter  the  newspapers  announced  my 
election  by  a  large  majority,  and  my  commission 
as  Colonel  was  sent  to  me  by  Secretary  of  State 
Stevens  T.  Mason,  under  Governor  Porter  at 
Detroit,  Michigan.  Mason  had  been  my  college 
mate  at  Transylvania  University,  in  Lexington, 
Kentucky. 

A  short  time  thereafter  I  went  to  Mineral 
Point  to  organize  a  horse  company  of  which  my 
noble,  brave,  and  generous  friend  Henry  L. 
Dodge  was  elected  Captain.  Whilst  out  upon 
the  prairie  organizing  the  Company,  a  com 
mittee  of  lawyers  came  out  to  inform  me  that  I 
had  been  nominated  and  unanimously  elected  at 
a  large  meeting  of  lawyers,  jurors,  and  litigants 
as  Chief  Justice  to  succeed  General  Henry 
Dodge,  who  had  left  the  country  and  gone  to  the 
South- West  as  Commander  of  the  First  Regi 
ment  of  United  States  Dragoons.  I  was  with 
General  Dodge  in  the  war  when  he  received  his 
commission  as  Major  of  the  United  States 
Dragoons  and  induced  him  to  accept  the  ap 
pointment.124  The  committee  insisted  upon  my 
going  down  to  the  meeting.  I  did  so,  and  em 
phatically  declined  to  accept  the  nomination,  as 
I  already  held  the  most  important  office  in  the 
County.  Besides  that,  I  was  no  lawyer. 
Messrs.  John  Turney,  Ben  Mills,  and  Charles 


124     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

S.  Hempstead,  attorneys  of  Galena,  Illinois, 
made  speeches  complimenting  me  and  urging  me 
to  accept  the  nomination,  but  I  persisted  in  de 
clining,  and  the  meeting  nominated  the  Hon. 
James  Murphy,  of  Horse  Shoe  Bend,  as  the  can 
didate  for  Chief  Justice.  The  proceedings  of 
the  meeting  were  published  in  the  Galena  papers 
and  sent  by  the  Committee  to  Governor  George 
B.  Porter  at  Detroit.  As  soon  as  the  mail  could 
go  to  Detroit  and  return,  it  brought  back  my 
commission  as  Chief  Justice,  sent  me  by  my  old 
college  friend,  Stevens  T.  Mason  aforemen 
tioned,  Secretary  of  State.  Mason  wrote  me 
that  he  induced  the  Governor  to  commission  me, 
and  insisted  upon  my  accepting  the  appoint 
ment.  I  finally  accepted,  at  the  earnest  solicita 
tion  of  lawyers  and  mutual  friends,  and  went 
regularly  to  Mineral  Point  and  sat  upon  the 
bench  with  my  old  and  valued  friend  Major 
John  H.  Eoundtree,  who  came  to  the  Territory 
to  reside,  as  I  did,  in  1827,  who  had  served  as  a 
Captain  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  who  died 
at  Platteville  a  few  years  ago  greatly  lamented 
by  his  fellow  citizens  and  admiring  countrymen. 
As  I  was  riding  to  Galena  one  day  I  heard  voices 
out  in  the  bushes  at  Meeker 's  Grove.  It  was 
Mr.  Eoundtree  and  his  partner,  Mr.  Campbell, 
who  were  exchanging  their  mining  for  their  best 
clothes  preparatory  to  going  into  Galena,  where 
Mr.  Eoundtree  was  that  day  to  be  married. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  125 

In  September,  1835,  while  at  Mineral  Point, 
holding  court,  a  large  meeting  of  the  people  had 
been  called  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  Delegate 
to  Congress  from  the  Territory  of  Michigan.  I 
was  unanimously  nominated  over  David  Irvin, 
one  of  the  judges  of  the  United  States  court  who 
had  been  appointed  to  the  place  from  Virginia 
by  President  Andrew  Jackson,  on  his  accession 
to  the  Presidency,  vice  James  Duane  Doty  whom 
he  removed.  Charles  Bracken  wished  me  to  de 
cline  in  favor  of  Judge  Irvin,  saying  he  was 
well  known  in  the  peninsula  and  could  be  elected 
without  doubt. 

Bracken  had  asked  me  to  carry  a  challenge  to 
Captain  Daniel  Parkinson,  with  whom  he  had 
quarreled,  but  I  declined  to  act  as  his  second. 
This  made  him  cool  toward  me  ever  after. 

The  people  of  Michigan  had  formed  a  State 
government  within  the  peninsula  and  elected 
Hon.  Lucius  Lyon  and  John  Norvell  as  Sena 
tors,  and  Hon.  I.  E.  Crary  as  their  Representa 
tive  in  Congress,  and  did  not  desire  to  interfere 
in  the  election  of  a  Delegate. 

I  accepted  the  nomination  and  had  as  my  com 
petitors  Hon.  Morgan  L.  Martin  of  Green  Bay, 
Hon.  James  D.  Doty,  and  the  Hon.  W.  W.  Wood- 
bridge,  United  States  Judge  at  Detroit,  [who] 
was  opposed  to  a  State  Government.  The  elec 
tion  was  held  in  October.  Receiving  a  large  ma 
jority  of  the  votes,  I  went  on  to  Washington  and 


126     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

was  sworn  in  as  Delegate.  My  seat  was  contest 
ed  by  Woodbridge,  because  the  returns  from 
that  portion  west  of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mis 
sissippi  did  not  reach  Detroit  in  time.  The 
House  of  Representatives  did  not  hesitate,  how 
ever,  to  give  me  the  seat.  I  soon  introduced  the 
bill  to  create  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  and 
went  to  work  to  get  that  bill  through,  although 
the  Senators  and  Eepresentatives  from  the 
State  told  me  I  need  not  try  to  get  it  passed  be 
fore  they  were  sworn  in  from  the  State  govern 
ment.  I  said :  " I'll  try  to  do  so,  anyway. ' '  I  did 
get  it  passed,  and  had  the  Territory  of  Wis 
consin  organized  on  the  4th  of  July,  1836,  before 
Michigan  was  admitted  under  the  act  of  Con 
gress  —  the  first  time  that  such  a  thing  was 
ever  accomplished  in  the  United  States.  I  rep 
resented,  as  Delegate,  all  of  the  country  which 
now  embraces  the  States  of  Michigan,  Wiscon 
sin,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  Nebraska,  North  and 
South  Dakota,  Washington,  Oregon,  or  all  the 
territory  north  of  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois  and  Missouri  and  clear  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean  —  a  larger  district  than  any  man  has 
ever  represented  in  the  United  States  Con 
gress.125  My  three  competitors,  Martin,  Doty, 
and  Woodbridge,  were  distinguished  men,  two 
having  been  judges  in  the  United  States  courts 
and  all  three  afterwards  elected  as  Whig  Sen 
ators  from  Michigan.  Doty  was  appointed  as 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  127 

Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  by 
President  Tyler,  vice  Governor  Dodge.  I  was 
three  times  elected  as  Delegate  to  Congress 
from  Wisconsin  Territory  and  Michigan,  each 
time  for  two  years.120 

In  1837  I  introduced  without  any  petition 
from  the  people,  a  bill  in  Congress  to  divide  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin  and  to  establish  the 
Territory  of  Iowa.  Not  being  a  speaker,  I  car 
ried  my  bill  through  Congress  by  personal 
appeals  to  the  members  of  the  Senate  and 
House.  I  found  an  able  opponent  to  it  in  the 
Hon.  John  C.  Calhoun,  a  Senator  from  the  State 
of  South  Carolina,  ex-Vice-President  of  the 
United  States,  and  one  of  the  most  influential 
and  powerful  men  in  Congress.  He  told  me 
that  he  had  the  highest  regard  for  me  as  a  man, 
but  that  he  could  never  give  his  consent  to  the 
formation  of  a  new  Territory  which  in  a  few 
years  would  become  a  powerful  abolition  State. 
I  replied  that  there  was  not,  that  I  knew  of,  a 
single  abolitionist  in  the  whole  of  the  proposed 
Territory  of  Iowa ;  that  I  myself  was  the  owner 
of  ten  or  twelve  slaves,  and  that  I  was  as  much 
opposed  to  abolitionism  as  he  was.  He  said: 
"I  know,  my  son,  that  you  are  all  right  on  this 
question,  but  wait  until  western  Ohio,  New 
York,  and  New  England  shall  pour  their  popu 
lation  into  that  section,  and  you  will  see  Iowa 
some  day  grow  to  be  the  strongest  abolition 


128     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

State  in  the  Union.  I  shall  not  live  to  see  it,  in 
all  probability,  but  you  almost  certainly  will." 
This  was  in  the  winter  of  1837  and  proved  what 
a  prophet  John  C.  Calhoun  was,  as  Iowa  did 
afterwards  become  the  strongest  Eepublican 
State  in  the  Union. 

That  winter  I  escorted  Miss  Anna  Calhoun 
home  to  her  father's  boarding  house,  at  the  cor 
ner  of  D  and  Eighth  Streets,  near  Pennsylvania 
Ave.,  from  a  party  which  was  given  by  Senator 
Linn  and  myself  at  the  corner  of  B  and  Third 
Streets,  Washington  City.  As  we  waited  at  the 
door  for  the  porter  at  about  12  or  1  o  'clock,  Miss 
Calhoun  said:  "General,  I  do  not  know  how  I 
can  ever  return  the  compliments  and  favors  you 
have  shown  me. ' ' 

"You  can,  Miss  Calhoun,  do  me  a  great  ser 
vice.  To-morrow  my  bill  to  establish  the  Terri 
tory  of  Iowa  is  to  be  considered  in  the  Senate, 
it  having  already  passed  the  House.  Your  fa 
ther,  although  my  good  friend,  is  opposed  to  my 
bill.  To-morrow  morning,  when  he  comes  down 
to  breakfast,  put  your  lovely  arm  around  his 
neck  and  ask  him  to  vote  for  my  bill. ' '  She  was 
a  very  beautiful,  accomplished,  and  talented 
young  lady  and  the  idol  of  her  father. 

"I'll  do  my  best,  General,  and  I  know  I  shall 
succeed,  as  my  father  never  refuses  me  any 
thing." 

"Well",  I  said,  "Miss  Calhoun,  I'll  come  to 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  129 

see  you  to-morrow  forenoon  at  about  11  o'clock 
to  hear  what  your  success  may  have  been."  I 
went  as  I  had  promised,  when  she  told  me  that 
her  father  said  that  his  constituents  would 
never  forgive  him  if  he  should  consent  to  the 
passage  of  that  bill,  to  lay  the  foundation  of 
another  abolition  State,  although  he  would  be 
very  glad  to  serve  me  as  he  had  high  regard  for 
me.  I  thanked  her  and  said :  "  I  will  now  go  and 
send  your  admirer,  our  mutual  friend,  Mr.  C. 
G.  Clemson,  to  escort  you  to  the  Senate;  take 
your  seat  over  Colonel  Benton's  on  the  Demo 
cratic  side.  When  I  send  you  my  card,  come 
down,  send  your  card  for  your  father,  and  take 
him  into  the  library  and  keep  him  there  until  I 
call  for  you."  She  replied:  "General,  I'll  do 
my  utmost  to  serve  you. ' ' 

When  the  Senate  proceeded  to  business  I  was 
called  by  Clayton  of  Delaware,  Chairman  of  the 
Judiciary  Committee,  and  Walker  of  Missis 
sippi,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Public 
Lands,  and  seated  between  them.  After  getting 
my  bills  through  to  establish  two  new  land  dis 
tricts,  one  at  Burlington  and  the  other  at 
Dubuque,  and  several  other  bills,  I  called  a  page 
and  told  him  to  take  my  card  to  Miss  Calhoun, 
whom  I  pointed  out  to  him,  and  to  wait  on  her. 
He  went  up  with  my  card,  and  I  saw  him  deliver 
it.  Soon  she  was  escorted  to  the  door  of  the 
Senate  by  Mr.  C.  G.  Clemson,  and  sent  her  card 

9 


130     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

to  her  father,  and  I  saw  him  get  up  and  walk 
out  of  the  Senate.  "Now",  said  I,  " Senator 
Clayton,  please  call  up  my  bill  to  establish  the 
Territory  of  Iowa. "  In  a  few  minutes  my  bill 
was  passed,  Iowa  was  a  Territory,  and  the  Sen 
ate  adjourned.  I  walked  into  the  library,  where 
Mr.  Calhoun,  his  daughter  and  Mr.  Clemson 
were.  Mr.  Calhoun  asked  me :  '  *  What  was  go 
ing  on  in  the  Senate  1"  I  replied :  ' i  The  Senate 
has  adjourned  and  the  bill  to  create  Iowa  has 
been  passed."  Then  turning  to  his  daughter 
he  said :  i  i  Oh,  Anna,  you  bad  girl,  you  have  pre 
vented  my  making  a  speech  to  oppose  that  bill, 
as  I  would  have  done  and  done  successfully,  as 
the  time  for  the  consideration  of  Territorial 
bills  has  expired." 

Mr.  Clemson  afterwards  married  Miss  Cal 
houn  and  they  raised  a  family  of  ten  children. 

On  my  return  home  my  constituents  gave  me 
a  fine  dinner  at  the  Waples  House  on  the  site 
now  occupied  by  the  new  Julien  House,  and 
upon  being  toasted  for  having  had  Iowa  created 
a  separate  Territory,  I  told  of  the  circumstances 
of  Miss  Calhoun 's  aid,  which  caused  great 
laughter  and  shouting. 

Mr.  Van  Buren,  who  was  then  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  upon  my  questioning  him 
as  to  the  filling  of  the  offices  in  Iowa,  asked  me 
what  General  Jackson  had  done  for  me  in  rela 
tion  to  the  appointments  in  Wisconsin,  and  said 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  131 

lie  would  do  as  much  for  me  as  President  Jack 
son  had  done.  And  he  did,  allowing  me  to  name 
all  the  offices  for  Iowa  but  one,  the  governor 
ship. 

At  that  session  of  Congress,  in  1837,  General 
A.  C.  Dodge  went  East  to  purchase  goods  to  be 
come  a  merchant  at  or  near  Dodgeville.  When 
calling  on  me  at  my  lodgings  at  Dawson's,  I 
introduced  him  to  his  uncle,  Mr.  Linn,  whom  he 
had  known  as  a  boy,  and  to  Colonel  Benton, 
Allen  of  Ohio,  Hannegan,  and  all  of  our  mess, 
and  I  made  him  stay  with  me  as  my  guest  and 
sleep  with  me.  I  took  him  to  the  galleries  of  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  which  he 
visited  every  day,  hanging  over  the  galleries 
listening  to  the  speeches  as  they  were  delivered. 
He  told  me  on  that  occasion  of  his  being  in  love 
with  Miss  Clara  Hertich,  whom  I  had  known  all 
her  life,  of  how  they  had  become  engaged  whilst 
he  attended  school  with  her  at  her  father's 
Academy.  I  asked  him  when  he  had  heard  from 
her. 

He  replied :  i '  I  have  never  written  to  her. ' ' 

"Why?" 

"Because  she  is  a  very  fine  scholar  and  I  a 
very  indifferent  one.  She  writes  a  beautiful 
hand,  and  I,  as  you  know,  a  poor  one. ' ' 

"Well",  said  I,  "Augustus,  you  must  (as  we 
go  home  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi) 
stop  over  at  Ste.  Genevieve  and  marry  Clara. ' ' 


132     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

He  consented  to  do  so.  Before  reaching  Ste. 
Genevieve,  I  was  informed  by  my  old  friend 
and  groomsman,  A.  W.  Kimmel,  and  the  family 
of  Judge  Pratt,  that  Miss  Clara  Hertich  had 
become  engaged  to  marry  Charles  Bogy,  the  son 
of  Judge  Bogy,  and  the  brother  of  Hon.  L.  V. 
Bogy,  late  United  States  Senator  from  Mis 
souri.  Augustus  then  said:  "I'll  not  stop."  I 
insisted  upon  his  doing  so  and  renewing  his 
suit.  He  finally  yielded  to  my  advice,  came  up 
with  me,  and  taking  a  horse  rode  out  eight  miles 
to  Judge  Hertich 's.  The  Judge  kept  a  large 
and  fashionable  boarding  school  for  young 
ladies  and  gentlemen.  He  arrived  at  Judge 
Hertich 's  and  was  very  cordial  and  friendly 
with  Mrs.  Hertich,  but  when  Clara  entered  the 
room,  he  merely  bowed  to  her.  After  the  old 
lady  had  left  to  attend  to  her  household  affairs, 
he  moved  his  chair  up  to  Miss  Clara  and  said : 
"Now,  my  dear  Clara,  I  have  come  to  make  you 
my  wife."  She  replied:  "You  are  too  late, 
Augustus,  for  I  am  engaged  to  cousin  Charles 
Bogy."  Her  mother  just  then  re-entering,  he 
moved  his  chair  away  and  did  not  say  anything 
further. 

That  evening,  as  was  usual,  they  had  their 
dance  in  the  school  room  and  he  was  very  at 
tentive  to  Miss  Clara.  A  few  days  afterwards, 
in  earnest  conversation  with  Miss  Clara,  he 
asked  her  if  she  had  not  loved  him  once.  "Yes, 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  133 

Augustus,  I  have  never  loved  any  other  man  but 
you.  But  my  mother  and  father  are  very  much 
delighted  at  the  idea  of  my  marrying  my  half- 
cousin  Charles ;  and  I  would  be  only  too  happy 
to  marry  you  if,  as  you  say,  my  parents  would 
give  their  consent  to  it.  But  it  would  break  up 
a  friendship  that  has  existed  for  fifty  years  be 
tween  our  families."  Augustus  persisted  in  his 
suit  and  got  her  brothers  Joe  and  Charles,  who 
were  warm  friends  of  his,  but  did  not  like 
Charles  Bogy,  to  promise  him  their  assistance 
in  gaining  her  consent  to  elope.  He  still  plead 
with  her  and  said:  "We  will  not  ask  your  par 
ents,  but  will  cross  the  Mississippi  to  Kaskaskia 
and  get  married  there*. ' '  After  a  few  days  she 
consented. 

One  day  after  dinner  Augustus  took  leave  of 
the  family  and  all  of  the  pupils,  agreeing  with 
her  brothers  and  Clara  that  he  should  return  at 
half-past  ten  that  evening  and  go  over  to  Kas 
kaskia  and  get  married.  He  went  to  Judge 
James',  four  miles  distant,  to  take  tea,  and  told 
Judge  James  of  his  intention.  Judge  James 
was  an  old  friend  of  his  father's  as  well  as  a 
great  friend  of  the  Hertich  and  Bogy  families, 
and  of  the  Dodge  family.  The  Judge,  being  a 
devout  Catholic,  said :  1 6  Such  a  secret  marriage 
will  disgrace  our  church.  Augustus,  I  will 
write  a  letter  to  Judge  and  Mrs.  Hertich  and 
try  to  induce  them  to  give  their  consent,  as  I  am 


134     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

sure  they  will  not  want  Clara  to  marry  Charles 
if  she  loves  you  better. "  Augustus  declined 
this  suggestion,  and  said :  "  I  must  go  back  as  I 
agreed,  as  they  will  all  be  waiting  for  me  at  half 
after  ten  o'clock."  He  persisted  in  his  deter 
mination,  and  the  Judge  went  to  the  door  and 
called  to  a  negro  man  to  saddle  his  horse,  say 
ing:  "I  shall  send  word  immediately  to  Judge 
Hertich  of  your  intentions."  Augustus  re 
plied  :  "  If  you  will  give  me  the  letter  I  will  take 
your  advice  and  wait  until  morning."  The 
Judge  sat  down  and  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Judge 
and  Mrs.  Hertich  to  obtain  their  consent  to 
Clara 's  marrying  Augustus. 

After  saying  the  usual  night  prayers,  Au 
gustus  was  shown  to  his  room.  He  waited  until 
all  the  family  were  asleep,  when  he  came  down 
stairs  in  his  stocking  feet,  went  to  the  stables, 
saddled  his  horse,  and  rode  off  to  Judge  Her 
tich 's.  On  reaching  the  house,  the  Judge's  pack 
of  hounds  rushed  out  and  barked  fiercely  at  him. 
Clara's  brothers  quieted  the  hounds,  and  the 
party,  consisting  of  Augustus  and  Clara,  her 
older  brother  Joseph,  her  cousin  Miss  Vilar, 
Miss  Coffman  and  Mr.  H.  Doran  Jenkins, 
mounted  their  horses,  rode  down  to  the  Mis 
sissippi,  and  hallooed  to  the  ferryman  who  lived 
on  the  Illinois  side.  The  ferryman  responded 
that  he  could  not  cross  them  that  night  as  the 
river  was  rising  rapidly,  and  being  full  of  drift 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  135 

wood,  their  lives  would  be  endangered,  but 
would  take  them  over  in  the  morning  at  day 
light,  which  he  accordingly  did  —  they  staying 
all  night  in  a  deserted  house. 

On  reaching  Kaskaskia  in  the  morning,  they 
stopped  at  a  hotel  and  ordered  breakfast,  and 
Mr.  Dodge  went  to  the  Clerk's  office  to  get  a 
license.  Mr.  Hughes,  the  clerk,  asked  him  whom 
he  was  going  to  marry — "What  is  her  name, 
and  where  does  she  live?"  Augustus  replied: 
"Miss  Clara  Hertich,  residing  in  Missouri." 
He  inquired  her  age,  which  was  less  than  seven 
teen.  "I  must  have  the  consent  of  her  par 
ents."  "Well",  said  Augustus,  "her  parents 
live  in  Missouri. "  "  Then ' ',  he  replied,  ' i  I  can 
not  give  you  the  license,  as  it  is  against  the 
laws.  I  should  have  to  pay  $1,000  fine  and  lose 
my  office.  I  care  nothing  for  the  office,  but  I 
have  no  one  thousand  dollars  to  lose."  "WelL, 
Mr.  Hughes,  I  will  give  you  the  name  of  my 
friend,  General  Jones,  as  security  for  the  $1,000, 
if  you  are  required  to  pay  it. ' '  Then  he  said : 
"If  General  Jones  will  sign  an  indemnifying 
bond  to  that  effect  I  will  give  you  the  license." 
As  I  had  gone  on  to  Wisconsin,  Augustus  could 
not  get  me  to  sign  the  bond.  He  then  deter 
mined  to  recross  the  Mississippi  with  his  party 
and  go  to  the  residence  of  Judge  Sircey,  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  an  old  friend  of  all  the  families 
interested,  to  get  him  to  marry  them.  On  reach- 


136     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

ing  the  residence  of  Judge  Sircey,  he  found  the 
Judge  on  his  gallery,  smoking  a  pipe.  All  of 
the  party  went  into  the  house  except  Augustus, 
leaving  him  to  talk  to  the  old  gentleman  and  try 
to  induce  him  to  perform  the  marriage  cere 
mony.  Judge  Sircey  asked:  "Do  you  want  to 
marry  Miss  Coffman  or  Miss  Vilar?"  "No", 
said  Augustus,  "it  is  neither,  it  is  Miss  Clara ". 
"Well",  said  the  Judge,  "I  can  not  agree  to 
marry  you  and  incur  the  displeasure  of  my  old 
friends,  Judge  Bogy  and  Judge  Hertich." 

Augustus  then  went  into  the  house  and  im 
plored  Mrs.  Sircey  to  induce  her  husband  to 
marry  them,  saying:  "We'll  go  to  Arkansas, 
Louisiana,  to  Texas  or  even  to  Mexico,  before 
we  will  abandon  our  object."  The  old  lady,  a 
friend  of  all  the  families  concerned,  went  out  to 
the  gallery  and  begged  her  husband  to  perform 
the  ceremony,  which  after  much  entreaty  he  did. 

At  the  Hertich  home  the  next  morning  at  sun 
rise,  as  was  usual,  Mrs.  Hertich  sent  her  little 
negro  girl  upstairs  to  tell  Miss  Clara  to  come 
down  and  give  out  the  breakfast  —  the  custom 
in  the  South.  The  little  girl  went  up  and  re 
turned,  saying  that  Miss  Clara  was  not  there. 
She  then  sent  the  girl  for  an  older  servant  to 
call  Miss  Clara,  who  on  returning  exclaimed, 
"Miss  Clara  nor  the  other  young  ladies  are  up 
in  their  rooms,  nor  have  any  of  the  beds  been 
disturbed!"  At  this  moment  a  negro  man  en- 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  137 

tered,  saying:  " Master,  something  strange  was 
going  on  here  last  night.  The  dogs  kept  up  a 
terrible  barking  about  11  o'clock,  I  thought  it- 
was  a  wolf  or  a  coon  or  something  of  the  sort, 
but  on  going  into  the  stables  this  morning  to 
curry  the  horses,  I  found  that  all  the  horses 
were  gone,  all  the  men's  saddles,  and  the  ladies' 
saddles,  too.  Master  Joe's  and  Mister  J.  Doran 
Jenkins."  It  then  flashed  upon  Mrs.  Hertich 
that  Clara  had  run  off  with  J.  Doran  Jenkins, 
1  'the  redheaded  American",  and  she  was  in 
great  distress  at  the  thought.  When  the  Judge 
entered  the  schoolroom  that  morning,  he  found 
on  his  desk  a  note  from  Augustus,  saying  they 
had  gone  to  Kaskaskia  to  get  married.  He  im 
mediately  despatched  a  colored  man  to  Kaskas 
kia  on  horseback  with  a  note  telling  them  to 
come  back  home.  The  colored  man  was  told  by 
the  ferryman  that  they  had  gone  on  and  he  could 
follow  their  tracks.  He  did  so  and  found  them 
at  Judge  Sircey's  residence,  and  the  party  all 
returned  to  Judge  Hertich 's  home.  On  reach 
ing  there,  Mrs.  Hertich  sent  off  eight  miles  to 
the  Catholic  Church  for  a  priest,  who  returned 
and  married  them.  They  thus  had  two  mar 
riages  on  the  same  day,  as  Mrs.  Hertich  did  not 
consider  the  marriage  of  the  Justice  legal. 

On  the  1st  day  of  April,  following,  I  rode  into 
Galena  from  my  residence  at  Sinsinawa  Mound 
and  met  the  aforesaid  J.  Doran  Jenkins,  who 


138     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

told  me  of  the  marriage  of  our  mutual  friends, 
Augustus  Dodge  and  Clara  Hertich,  and  that 
they  were  at  Bennett's  Hotel  in  Galena.  I  gal 
loped  down  into  the  town,  put  my  horse  into  a 
livery  stable,  and  ran  up  the  hill  to  Bennett's  to 
greet  the  happy  couple.  Mr.  Bennett  told  me 
they  had  just  a  short  time  before  gone  off  to 
Dodgeville  in  a  carriage.  Seeing  a  horse 
hitched  near  by,  I  threw  the  bridle  over  his 
head,  mounted  him,  and  galloped  off  toward 
Dodgeville.  I  was  followed  by  the  owner  of  the 
horse  which  I  had  so  boldly  appropriated;  but 
the  more  he  hallooed,  the  faster  I  rode.  About 
a  mile  from  town  I  overtook  the  party  in  the 
carriage,  where  Clara,  throwing  her  arms 
around  Augustus '  neck,  exclaimed :  "  I  owe  you 
for  my  husband ! "  I  talked  with  them  an  hour 
or  so,  when  they  detailed  to  me  the  circum 
stances  related  above. 

Augustus  and  his  lovely  wife  lived  happily 
together  and  had  many  children,  amongst  them 
the  late  Charles  Jones  Dodge,  of  the  law  firm  of 
" Dodge  and  Dodge",  Burlington. 

At  the  organization  of  the  land  office  at  Bur 
lington,  in  1838,  I  recommended  and  had 
General  Augustus  C.  Dodge  appointed  Eegister 
of  the  Land  Office  at  that  place,  the  duties  of 
which  he  performed  so  ably  as  to  secure  his 
election  as  the  first  democratic  Delegate  elected 
to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  in  1840; 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  139 

and  when  his  term  expired  as  my  colleague  in 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  I  induced 
President  Pierce,  my  warm  friend,  to  nominate 
him  to  the  Senate  as  Minister  to  the  Court  of 
Spain.  When  I  spoke  upon  the  subject,  he  held 
up  his  hands,  and  turning  from  me  said :  ' '  Gen 
eral  Jones,  that  will  never  do  —  that  is  not  the 
place  for  General  Dodge,  nor  is  he  the  man  for 
such  a  position."  I  replied:  " Frank,  I  have 
known  Augustus  C.  Dodge  ever  since  he  was  a 
small  bare-footed,  bare-headed  boy  running 
through  the  streets  of  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri. 
I  knew  him  when,  with  his  older  brother  and  his 
father's  negro  slaves,  he  helped  to  cordelle  the 
keel-boat  from  south-east  Missouri  to  Galena, 
Illinois,  in  1827.  I  have  seen  him  working  in  his 
father's  lead  furnaces  and  lead  mines  with  his 
father's  slaves.  I  overtook  him  once  when  he 
was  driving  two  wagons  loaded  with  lead  and 
each  hauled  by  five  yoke  of  oxen,  his  negro 
Joseph  seated  on  one  wagon,  he  having  broken 
down  from  driving  through  the  deep  snow.  I 
served  with  him  through  the  Black  Hawk  War 
as  his  father's  aid-de-camp  —  he  being  a  pri 
vate.  I  made  him  Eegister  of  the  Land  Office 
in  1838  at  Burlington,  and  I  aided  in  his  election 
to  Congress  as  Delegate  and  as  United  States 
Senator.  I  have  served  two  terms  with  him  in 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  and  I  think  I 
know  Gen.  Dodge  as  well  as  you  do,  Frank." 


140     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Holding  my  fist  under  his  nose,  I  turned 
about  very  much  dissatisfied  and  disappointed, 
when  he  asked  me  if  I  was  going  up  to  the 
Senate.  I  replied  that  I  was.  He  said:  "Ask 
Gen.  Dodge  to  come  to  see  me."  "I  will",  I 
answered,  "but  if  you  tell  him,  as  you  do  me, 
that  he  is  not  fit  for  the  place,  he  will,  of  course, 
not  accept  it."  I  went  up  to  the  Senate  and 
told  Gen.  Dodge  that  President  Pierce  wanted 
to  see  him.  ' '  Do  you  know  what  he  wants  to  see 
me  for,  George ?"  "No,  I  do  not  exactly  know, 
but  if  he  makes  you  an  offer  of  an  office,  do  not 

be  a  d d  fool  and  decline  it. "  I  saw  him  get 

on  to  his  horse  and  gallop  off,  and  I  went  to  my 
seat  in  the  Senate. 

In  less  than  an  hour  Sidney  Webster,  the 
private  Secretary  of  President  Pierce,  was  an 
nounced  as  bearing  a  message  from  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States.  I  walked  up  to  the 
President  of  the  Senate,  Mr.  Bright,  and  asked : 
"Jesse,  what  is  that  message?"  He  said: 
1 '  Open  it  and  see. ' '  I  did  so,  and  going  back  to 
my  seat,  moved  that  the  Senate  go  into  execu 
tive  session.  When  the  Senate  was  cleared,  I 
moved  that  the  message  be  read  and  then  "that 
the  nomination  of  General  Dodge  be  unanimous 
ly  confirmed  without  reference  to  the  Committee 
on  Foreign  Eelations".  The  nomination  was 
unanimously  confirmed,  and  in  less  than  a  fort 
night  General  Dodge  drew  $20,000  out  of  the 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  141 

United  States  Treasury  and  was  en  route  to 
Madrid  as  United  States  Minister-Plenipoten 
tiary. 

When  in  New  York  City  in  1863  my  old 
brother  Congressman  and  friend,  Hon.  John 
McKeon,  told  me  that  our  mutual  friend  Ex- 
President  Pierce  had  just  arrived  at  the  Astor 
House  and  was  very  anxious  to  see  me.  I 
immediately  called  upon  him,  hugged  him  in  my 
arms,  and  spent  an  hour  or  two  with  him.  In 
the  course  of  our  conversation,  he  asked  me  if  I 
recollected  how  angry  he  had  made  me  when  he 
declined  my  request  to  make  Gen.  Dodge  Min 
ister  to  Spain,  and  added  that  that  was  the  best 
foreign  appointment  he  had  ever  made.  I  told 
him  that  Lord  Willoughby  —  I  think  that  was 
his  name  —  who  bore  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
me  from  Gen.  Dodge,  told  me  that  Lord  Harden 
had  said  to  him  that  if  he  wished  to  select  a 
friend  upon  whose  sound  judgement,  honesty, 
and  discretion  he  could  rely,  he  would  take  Mr. 
Dodge,  the  American  Minister,  before  any  man 
that  he  had  ever  met. 


II 

SlNSINAWA 

JOSEPHINE  and  I  were  married  about  4:30 
o'clock  p.  m.,  January  7th,  1829,  at  her  father's 
residence,  still  standing  on  the  corner  of  the 
block  immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  Church  of 
Ste.  Genevieve,  in  the  town  of  that  name,  before 
a  large  concourse  of  mutual  friends.  The 
bridesmaids  were  Carmelite  Bossier,  now  Mrs. 
Guignon,  residing  in  St.  Louis,  Susan  Shannon, 
afterwards  the  wife  of  Major  Wm.  Myers  and 
mother  of  D.  D.  of  this  city,  and  Odile  Le  Claire, 
now  Mrs.  Janis,  a  resident  still  of  Ste.  Gene 
vieve  and  mother  of  Mrs.  C.  H.  Gregoire  of  this 
city.  My  groomsmen  were  Bertolme  St. 
Gemme,  Allen  Kimmel,  and  Savinien  St.  Vrain. 
From  the  residence  we  repaired  to  the  Hotel 
Keil,  where  a  magnificent  supper  and  ball  were 
prepared  for  us  by  my  wife's  brother,  Charles 
Gregoire,  and  his  wife  Eulalie,  and  my  sister 
and  her  husband,  Hon.  John  Scott.  We  danced 
all  that  night  and  the  following  day,  as  was  the 
custom  in  those  days  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  St. 
Louis,  and  Kaskaskia. 

In  March,  1831,  I  brought  my  wife  and  seven 
servants,  Charlotte,  Paul,  Marie-Louise,  Jules, 

142 


SINSINAWA  143 

Henry,  Basil  and  Alexis,  and  five  or  six  French 
men  up  north,  leaving  my  wife  at  the  residence 
of  Mrs.  Barnes  in  Galena,  until  I  could  make  a 
suitable  home  for  her.  She  remained  with  Mrs. 
Barnes  about  a  week,  then  insisted  upon  coming 
to  the  Mound  where  we  occupied  the  two  un- 
hewed  log  cabins  which  I  had  helped  to  build. 
My  dear  wife  often  told  her  children  that  in  all 
her  life  she  had  never  been  happier  than  when 
she  dwelt  in  that  humble  abode. 

In  the  same  year,  with  the  assistance  of  three 
carpenters  from  Ste.  Genevieve,  I  put  up  a  two 
story,  hewed  log  house,  with  a  spacious  cellar, 
and  a  kitchen  at  the  rear.  Though  apparently 
in  the  wilderness  at  Sinsinawa,  we  had  frequent 
visits  from  Dubuque  and  Galena  friends,  and 
"our  latch-string  was  always  out." 

Three  daughters  of  my  sisters  became  mem 
bers  of  my  family  circle  here  —  Misses  Eliza 
and  Mary  Brady,  who  married  Mr.  Geo.  W. 
Campbell,  a  merchant  of  Galena,  and  during  the 
Civil  War  a  Commissary,  with  the  title  of  Col 
onel,  and  Dr.  Jacob  Wyeth,  respectively,  and 
the  third,  Miss  Eliza  Scott,  who  married  Mr. 
Benj.  H.  Campbell,  youngest  brother  of  Mr. 
Geo.  W.  Campbell,  who  was  also  a  merchant, 
and,  under  the  administration  of  President  Lin 
coln,  United  States  Marshal  for  Illinois.  For 
days  before  each  wedding,  busy  preparations 
were  made  for  the  banquets,  which  embraced 


144     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

everything  procurable  in  the  way  of  meats  and 
delicacies,  including  champagne.  Rev.  Samuel 
Mazzuchelli,  who  afterwards  became  owner  of 
Sinsinawa,  and  celebrated  mass  frequently  at 
our  house,  performed  the  marriage  ceremony 
on  each  occasion.  The  merrymaking  continued 
through  the  night,  and  with  the  morn',  the  bri 
dal  parties  departed  for  their  respective  homes. 

The  Campbell  brothers  were  Virginians,  and 
possessed  in  a  marked  degree  the  well-known 
urbanity  of  manner  and  keen  sense  of  hospi 
tality  typical  of  the  F.  F.  V.,  and  there  are  many 
among  the  living,  to  say  nothing  of  those  gone 
before,  who  will  testify  to  their  benevolence  and 
hospitality. 

As  in  those  early  days  " taverns''  were  few 
and  far  between,  the  lights  in  our  windows  were 
the  beacons  which  often  attracted  benighted 
travelers  to  us.  One  of  these  was  a  young  man 
of  about  twenty  years  of  age  who,  one  stormy 
night,  led  his  horse  up  to  our  door,  as  he  feared 
to  ride  lest  he  might  stumble  into  a  mineral 
hole.  The  young  man  was  covered  with  sleet 
and  almost  frozen.  After  having  exchanged  his 
coat  of  mail  for  a  suit  of  dry  clothes,  and  par 
taken  of  his  supper,  our  young  guest,  Mr.  J. 
Russell  Jones,  then  a  clerk  in  a  store  at  Galena 
at  a  salary  of  fifteen  dollars  per  month,  retired, 
and  the  following  morning  took  his  leave.  He 
later  became  a  stock-holder  in  and  Secretary  of 


SINSINAWA  145 

the  Galena  Packet  Co.  of  which  Mr.  B.  H.  Camp 
bell  was  President,  and  after  his  removal  to 
Chicago,  was  appointed  United  States  Marshal, 
and  later  Minister  to  Brussels.  He  accumu 
lated  wealth  through  his  good  management  of 
the  affairs  of  the  West  Division  Street  Railway 
Co.  of  Chicago,  of  which  he  was  many  years 
President;  but  fortune  favored  him  most  when 
he  won  the  hand  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Ann  Scott, 
the  sister  of  Mrs.  B.  H.  Campbell. 

To  go  back  to  the  time  when  I  first  lived  at 
Sinsinawa  Mound.  It  was  in  1827  that  I  took 
up  my  claim  and  leased  1001  acres,  embracing 
the  Mound  and  the  magnificent  grove  of  timber, 
from  Mr.  Thomas  McKnight,  United  States 
Agent  of  the  Lead  Mines  at  Galena.  Mr.  Mc 
Knight 's  first  wife  was  the  sister  of  my  two 
brothers-in-law,  Hons.  John  and  Andrew  Scott, 
and  to  him  I  brought  a  letter  from  the  first 
named,  asking  Mr.  McKnight 's  kind  offices  in 
my  behalf.  When  I  delivered  the  letter,  he  ex 
claimed  :  i  i  What  do  you  bring  me  a  letter  from 
John  Scott  for !  I  Ve  known  you  all  your  life  I 
I  courted  and  married  my  wife  in  your  father 's 
house  at  New  Diggings,  Missouri. "  Mr.  Mc 
Knight  came  often  to  the  Mound,  sometimes 
with  Jefferson  Davis,  "to  eat  cornbread  with 
us ' '.  On  one  occasion  Mr.  McKnight  overheard 
the  cook,  one  of  my  hired  hands,  telling  the  men 
this:  "See  that  big  oven?  I  made  that  full  of 

10 


146     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

cornbread  last  night,  thinking  there  would  be 
enough  for  breakfast,  but  that  red-headed 
friend  of  Mr.  Jones'  eat  it  all  up  —  eat  a  gee- 
whilikin  of  a  supper !"  This  was  a  joke  Mr. 
McKnight  thoroughly  enjoyed.  I  was  the  first 
person  who  brought  corn-meal,  as  well  as  pine 
plank  and  shingles,  to  this  upper  country.  The 
last  named  had  been  brought  from  Olean,  New 
York  State,  down  the  Alleghany  Eiver  and  the 
Ohio,  and  then  up  the  Mississippi. 

In  the  winter  of  18 —  Mr.  Charles  S.  Hemp- 
stead  and  Mr.  James  G.  Soulard  of  Galena,  and 
myself  were  riding  home  in  the  stage  from  St. 
Louis,  and  meeting  the  stage  bound  for  St. 
Louis,  the  driver  of  the  latter  informed  us,  in 
reply  to  our  inquiry  as  to  "the  news",  that 
Mr.  Barnes  had  died.  Thereupon  Soulard 
and  I  exclaimed:  "There's  your  chance,  Hemp- 
stead  ! " •  -  knowing  that  Mr.  Hempstead  had  al 
ways  admired  Mrs.  Barnes.  He  blushed  like  a 
school-girl,  but  in  due  course  of  time  Mrs. 
Barnes  became  his  wife.  They  were  our  be 
loved  friends,  and  spent  their  honeymoon  with 
us  at  the  Mound,  coming  home  with  us  in  our 
carriage,  per  previous  agreement,  from  the 
ceremony,  to  which  only  a  few  friends  were  in 
vited,  as  the  former 's  younger  brother,  William, 
had  threatened  to  give  them  a  charivari.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hempstead  were  universally  beloved 
and  respected,  as  are  their  descendants.  But 


SINSINAWA  147 

one  of  their  children  survives  —  Mr.  William 
Hempstead  of  Minneapolis,  with  whom,  his 
sweet  wife,  most  amiable  and  interesting 
daughter,  and  talented  sons  I  had  a  most  de 
lightful  visit  a  year  ago  last  January.  Since 
then  the  pride  of  their  household,  their  angelic 
daughter,  has  been  called  to  her  heavenly  home. 
We  lived  at  Sinsinawa  —  thus  pronounced  by 
the  Indians  —  until  1842,127  when,  having  been 
appointed  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin  by  the  Chief  Justice, 
Hon.  Charles  Dunn,  I  removed,  with  my  wife 
and  five  children  to  Mineral  Point.  My  wife 
wept  upon  leaving  this,  the  home  of  our  early 
married  life ;  but  we  soon  became  domesticated 
in  the  new  one  and  formed  strong  ties  of  friend 
ship  with  the  residents  of  that  town,  whose 
original  name  was  "  Shake-rag " — from  the 
manner  of  apprising  the  early  mining  settlers 
of  meal-time. 


Ill 

THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 

A  DAY  or  two  after  my  return  home  from  the 
search  for  my  brother-in-law  Felix  St.  Vrain's 
body,  Gen.  Dodge  sent  his  Adjutant,  W.  W. 
Woodbridge,  and  his  oldest  son,  Henry  L. 
Dodge,  to  my  log  cabin  to  ask  me  to  be  his  aid- 
de-camp.  The  next  morning  we  started  for 
Dodgeville  on  horseback.  We  were  armed  with 
swords,  pistols  and  double-barrelled  shot  guns. 
On  reaching  Gen.  Dodge 's  house,  he  received  us 
cordially,  saying  he  had  received  an  order  from 
Gen.  Henry  Atkinson  of  the  United  States 
Army,  to  take  command  of  Gen.  Posey's  Brig 
ade  of  1600  Illinois  Volunteers.  With  us  were 
some  Sac  and  Winnebago  Indians  and  some 
friendly  Indians  from  Green  Bay,  acting  as 
scouts  for  the  Army.  Gen.  Dodge  suspected 
the  "blind"  leader  of  the  Winnebagoes  of 
treachery.  Before  we  reached  the  main  body 
of  the  army  under  Gen.  Atkinson,  Gen.  Dodge 
received  a  message  from  Gen.  Atkinson  to 
hasten  on  and  join  him  as  soon  as  possible  as 
they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Black  Hawk's 
army.  We  came  to  a  creek  swollen  by  a  recent 
rain,  which  Gen.  Dodge  gave  orders  to  swim. 

148 


CLOSE  OF  THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR    149 

As  we  were  about  to  go  in,  a  little  squaw,  wife 
or  daughter  of  some  of  the  friendly  Indians, 
complained  that  she  could  not  swim.  I  called  to 
her,  put  her  on  my  back  and  took  her  safely 
over.  And  then  Gen.  Dodge  cried  out:  "Well, 
George,  ladies'  man  to  the  last!" 

We  lost  sight  of  Gen.  Posey's  Brigade  in  the 
meantime,  and  when  we  reached  Gen.  Atkinson, 
we  found  he  had  no  trace  of  Black  Hawk's 
army,  which  the  ' '  blind ' '  chief  told  us  had  gone 
east  toward  Milwaukee.  As  we  were  out  of  pro 
visions,  Gen.  Atkinson  gave  orders  to  Gen. 
Dodge  and  Gen.  Henry's  Brigade  of  volunteers 
to  go  back  to  Fort  Winnebago  to  secure  sup 
plies.  We  started  in  obedience  to  these  orders, 
and  on  our  way  got  news  that  two  of  my  neigh 
bors  at  Sinsinawa  Mound  had  been  killed  by 
the  Indians.  Gen.  Dodge  ordered  me  to  go 
home  and  see  to  the  safety  of  my  family  and 
friends.  I  returned  in  company  with  Maj.  De 
ment,  Mr.  L.  V.  Bogy,  afterwards  United 
States  Senator  from  Missouri,  and  Sidney 
Breese,  who  afterwards  became  United  States 
Senator  from  Illinois  and  later  Chief  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  that  State. 

Generals  Dodge  and  Henry  on  their  way  to 
Fort  Winnebago  came  across  the  fresh  trail  of 
Black  Hawk's  army  going  west,  instead  of  east, 
as  the  "blind"  Winnebago  Chief  represented. 
Gen.  Dodge  sent  the  information  by  express  to 


150     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Gen.  Atkinson  and  directed  that  instead  of  go 
ing  to  Fort  Winnebago  for  provisions  he 
should  follow  Black  Hawk  at  once.  He  pur 
sued  the  Indians  and  overtook  them  at  Wis 
consin  Heights,  where  they  had  a  short  battle, 
whence  Black  Hawk's  army  retreated  across 
the  Wisconsin  Eiver  en  route  to  the  Mississippi. 
They  were  followed  by  Gen.  Dodge  and  the  rest 
of  the  Illinois  volunteers  to  Bad  Axe,  where  the 
last  battle  took  place  and  Black  Hawk  and  the 
other  chiefs  were  taken  prisoners,  his  army  dis 
persed,  and  the  war  ended.  Gen.  Dodge,  with 
his  command,  went  to  Fort  Crawford,  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  where  Gen.  Atkinson  ran  out 
to  meet  him,  threw  his  arms  around  him  and 
exclaimed:  "You  have  led  me  on  to  victory - 
you  have  saved  me!"  He  was  thus  greatly 
elated  because  President  Jackson  had  sent  word 
to  him  that  if  he  did  not  put  an  end  to  the  war 
in  a  few  days,  he  would  strike  his  name  from  the 
roll  of  the  United  States  Army. 


IV 

LAND  MATTERS  IN  DUBUQUE 

IN  1836  I  introduced  a  bill  in  Congress  making 
a  grant  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land, 
each,  to  the  towns  of  Mineral  Point  in  Wis 
consin,  and  Peru,  Dubuque,  Bellevue,  Burling 
ton,  and  Fort  Madison  in  Iowa,  the  said  bill 
granting  the  right  of  preemption  to  each  bona 
fide  settler  of  one-half  acre  in  in-lots  and  not 
more  than  two  acres  of  out-lots.  I  had  this  bill 
passed  at  that  session  of  Congress.  At  the 
next  session  I  got  the  bill  amended  so  as  to  give 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  these  lands  to  the 
respective  towns.128  These  preemptions  were 
to  be  approved  by  a  Board  of  Commissioners, 
appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  The  names  of  the  Board  of  Commis 
sioners  were  W.  W.  Corriell,  Dubuque,  Prof. 
-  of  Bellevue  and  M.  M.  Carver  of  Bur 
lington.  A  very  long  petition,  signed  by  nearly 
all  the  leading  business  men  of  Dubuque,  was 
sent  to  me  at  Washington,  recommending  W.  W. 
Corriell  as  the  Commissioner  to  be  appointed 
from  Dubuque  for  the  adjudication  and  pre 
emption  of  these  town  lots. 

On  my  return  to  Dubuque,  after  the  adjourn- 

151 


152     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

ment  of  Congress,  many  of  my  constituents 
enquired  of  me  how  I  came  to  get  Mr.  Corriell 
appointed,  when  I  replied  that  I  did  so  because 
I  had  received  their  petition,  recommending 
him  as  a  Dubuque  commissioner. 

When  the  public  sales  of  these  lands  came  on 
it  was  discovered  that  some  seven  or  eight  men 
in  Dubuque,  amongst  them  W.  W.  Corriell,  were 
to  be  allowed  to  preempt  large  tracts,  or  acres, 
within  the  town  site,  over  and  above  what  the 
law  allowed.  Messrs.  Patrick  Quigley,  Charles 
Corkery,  James  Fanning,  Timothy  Davis,  my 
self,  Thomas  C.  Fassitt,  Capt.  George  A.  Shan 
non,  A.  Butterworth,  and  Major  Wm.  Myers 
had  meetings  and  consultations  as  to  how  the 
town  lots  might  be  sold  off  under  the  act  so  as 
to  give  each  man  who  was  legally  qualified  the 
preemption  right  to  what  he  was  justly  en 
titled  to. 

I  went  to  the  Eegister  and  Eeceiver  of  the 
Land  Office  to  ascertain  from  them  whether 
they  would  allow  the  lots  to  be  sold  in  such 
order  as  would  secure  to  each  bona  fide  pre- 
emptioner  the  right  to  his  or  her  just  claim. 
Judge  Corkery,  the  clerk  for  the  Eeceiver,  said 
that  he  could  make  such  a  list  as  would  give 
every  one  his  claim.  Unfortunately,  however, 
he  put  the  house  of  one  Jackson  on  one  lot, 
when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  on  two  lots. 
Jackson  complained  of  not  being  allowed  both, 


LAND  MATTERS  IN  DUBUQUE    153 

and  that  excited  the  speculators  who  held  a 
meeting  among  themselves  and  appointed  a 
Commissioner  to  go  to  the  Register  and  Re 
ceiver  and  demand  why  the  lots  were  not  sold 
in  regular  order. 

A  great  excitement  and  mob  ensued.  They 
swore  they  would  tear  down  the  Land  Office  if 
the  lots  were  not  sold  in  regular  order.  To 
allay  their  excitement  the  Register  and  Re 
ceiver  informed  them  that  a  petition  had  been 
filed  by  twelve  respectable  citizens  with  the 
land  officers  requesting  that  the  lots  should  be 
sold  as  they  had  been.  They  then  demanded 
the  names  of  the  twelve  petitioners. 

The  sales  had  only  been  suspended  through 
the  violence  of  the  mob.  I  was  lying  down  in 
my  house,  ill,  when  Capt.  Geo.  A.  Shannon,  my 
cousin,  came  in  and  informed  me  of  the  mob 
and  of  the  demand  for  the  names  of  the  twelve 
petitioners.  The  Register  and  Receiver  had  re 
fused  to  give  them  because  the  mob  swore  to  kill 
every  man  whose  name  was  amongst  them. 

On  receiving  this  intelligence,  I  armed  myself 
with  four  pistols  and  went  to  the  Land  Office, 
made  my  way  through  the  crowd  with  difficulty 
to  the  stand,  and  mounting  it  called  for  silence, 
when  I  addressed  them  as  follows : 

"I  understand  that  all  this  great  excitement 
is  the  consequence  of  a  determination  of  the 
people  to  know  who  the  twelve  petitioners  are. 


154     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

I  know  who  they  are,  and  I  will  give  you  the 
names.  The  one  that  heads  the  list  is  Geo.  W. 
Jones,  the  man  who,  without  any  request  from 
you,  secured  the  passage  of  the  law  which  gives 
you  the  right  to  this  land.'' 

Bill  Smith  and  other  leaders  of  the  mob,  with 
drawn  pistols,  rushed  towards  me  at  the  stand, 
threatening  vengeance  upon  me.  I  cried:  "Let 
the  assassin  and  murderer  of  Woodbury  Mas- 
sey  come  on!"  Whereupon  the  crowd  cried: 
"As  Gen.  Jones  heads  the  list  we  will  stand  by 
him."  Quiet  was  then  restored.  The  Sher 
iff  had  a  large  posse  of  men  on  horseback, 
which  dispersed  the  mob,  and  the  sales  were 
suspended. 

The  Register  and  Eeceiver  reported  the  mat 
ter  to  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land 
Office  at  Washington.  The  result  was  that  a 
very  few  speculators  and  usurpers  got,  at  mini 
mum  price,  the  most  of  the  land,  which  was 
intended  for  the  citizens  at  large. 

This  ' '  Bill ' '  Smith,  to  whom  I  have  referred, 
and  his  father  had  killed  Woodbury  Massey  at 
his  mining  claim,  near  the  corner  of  Third  and 
Hill  Streets.  A  short  time  thereafter  Bill 
Smith  frightened  a  surviving  brother  of  Mas 
sey 's  out  of  the  store  of  old  Mr.  Johnson.  He 
went  home  and  told  his  sister  Louise  [Louisa] 
that  Bill  Smith  had  threatened  to  kill  him. 
When  she  asked  him  what  he  did,  he  replied: 


LAND  MATTERS  IN  DUBUQUE    155 

" Nothing  —  for  he  would  have  killed  me." 
She  took  a  pistol,  went  to  Johnson's  store, 
where  Smith  still  was  in  a  crowd,  and  asked: 
"Are  you  Bill  Smith!"  On  his  answering  in 
the  affirmative,  she  pulled  the  pistol  from  under 
her  cloak  and  shot  him  down.  The  legislature 
at  the  next  session  named  one  of  the  Counties 
"Louise"  [Louisa]  in  her  honor,  in  the  fall  of 
1837;  and  that  circumstance  furnished  me  with 
a  powerful  argument  in  favor  of  the  passage 
of  the  Bill  to  create  the  Territory  of  Iowa. 

Bill  Smith's  father  shortly  after  the  above 
occurrence  was  seen  walking  down  Main  Street 
in  Galena  by  another  brother  of  Massey's,  who 
ran  out  of  his  shop  directly  opposite  to  the  De 
Soto  House,  shot  him  down  and  killed  him  to 
avenge  the  murder  of  his  brother  Woodbury. 
That  Mr.  Massey,  I  believe,  still  resides  in  Po- 
tosi,  Wisconsin.129 

This  mob  law  excitement  was  the  consequence 
of  a  decision  by  Judge  Irvin,  the  additional 
Judge  for  Michigan,  that  the  Act  attaching  the 
country  west  of  the  Mississippi  did  not  give  him 
jurisdiction  in  such  cases.  0 'Conner,  who 
killed  his  fellow  miner,  had  been  tried  at  Du- 
buque  by  a  self -constituted  court,  found  guilty, 
and  hung,  about  where  the  present  Court  House 
now  stands. 

0 'Conner  wrote  to  me  at  Sinsinawa  Mound 
after  his  condemnation,  imploring  me  to  save 


156     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

his  life.  I  believed  lie  was  guilty  of  murder  and 
that  he  deserved  to  be  hung,  and  therefore  I  did 
not  intercede  in  his  behalf. 

This  additional  circumstance  also  assisted  me 
very  much  in  procuring  the  passage  of  the  bill 
to  organize  the  Territory  of  Iowa. 


V 

THE  CILLEY  DUEL 

THIS  terrible  duel,  tlie  most  terrible  in  the 
world,  not  excepting  that  between  Burr  and 
Hamilton,  caused  the  passage  of  the  "Anti- 
dueling  Law",  by  Congress,  which  makes  it 
"murder  for  any  man  to  kill  another  in  a  duel, 
and  a  penitentiary  offense  for  any  man  to  be 
second,  surgeon  or  friend."130 

About  the  20th  of  February,  1838,  a  violent 
debate  took  place  in  the  House  of  Kepresenta- 
tives,  as  usual  arraigning  the  administration  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren  and  conducted  by  Hon.  H.  A. 
Wise,  of  Accomac,  Virginia,  Hon.  John  Bell  and 
Bailey  Peyton,  both  of  Tennessee,  on  behalf  of 
the  then  Whig  party.131  The  administration 
was  most  ably  defended  by  the  eloquent,  talent 
ed  and  able  Mr.  Cilley  of  Maine.  In  the  course 
of  the  debate,  Mr.  Cilley  said:  "It  is  very  easy, 
Mr.  Speaker,  for  their  opponents  to  make 
charges  against  the  administration  of  Mr.  Van 
Buren.  The  newspapers  charge  that  the  Hon. 
James  Watson  Webb,  editor  of  the  New  York 
Courier  Enquirer,  the  man  who  has  given  the 
name  of  'Whig'  to  the  party  and  who  has  the 

157 


158     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

name  of  the  great  Henry  Clay  up  as  that  of  the 
next  candidate  for  President  of  the  United 
States,  has  received  a  bribe  of  $52,000  for  his 
advocacy  of  the  re-charter  of  the  Bank  of  the 
United  States."  Mr.  Wise  then  asked:  "Does 
the  gentleman  charge  General  Webb  with  hav 
ing  received  a  bribe  of  $52,000?"  Mr.  Cilley 
replied:  "I  make  no  charges.  These  are  the 
charges  in  the  public  newspapers."  Messrs. 
Wise,  Bell,  and  Peyton  persisted,  asking:  "Does 
the  gentleman  from  Maine  believe  the  charges!" 
Mr.  Cilley  replied:  "I  express  no  opinion."132 

A  few  days  thereafter,  General  Webb  having 
been  informed  of  this  debate  in  the  House  by 
his  reporter,  Mr.  Davis,  arrived  in  Washington, 
wrote  a  note  to  Mr.  Cilley  and  asked  his  friend, 
Mr.  Graves,  to  be  the  bearer  of  it  to  Mr.  Cilley, 
which  he  agreed  to  do,  and  did,  when  Mr.  Cilley 
politely  declined  to  receive  the  note  from  Mr. 
WTebb,  saying:  "I  have  no  acquaintance  with 
him."  Mr.  Cilley  continued:  "Mr.  Graves,  you 
and  I  are  personal  friends  and  I  would  do  noth 
ing  to  displease  you,  but  I  do  not  wish  to  enter 
into  any  communication  with  Mr.  Webb."133 

Mr.  Graves  again  returned  to  the  Kentucky 
delegation  and  detailed  the  conversation,  when 

Mr.  Clay  said:  "Graves,  the  d d  Yankee 

thinks  that  a  challenge ;  tell  him  that  it 's  a  mere 
note  of  inquiry. ' '  When  Mr.  Graves  returned  a 
second  time,  Mr.  Clay  said :  ' l  Graves,  this  is  an 


THE  CILLEY  DUEL  159 

insult  to  you ;  you  must  challenge  that  d d 

Yankee.''  Mr.  Clay  sat  down  and  drew  up  a 
formal,  peremptory  challenge,  gave  it  to  Graves, 
who  took  it  to  Mr.  Wise,  asking  him  to  be  his 
second,  and  bear  it  to  Mr.  Cilley.  Mr.  Wise, 
without  inquiring  into  the  cause  of  the  chal 
lenge,  agreed  to  bear  it,  but  upon  reading  it 
said:  "This  challenge  is  too  peremptory; — it 
leaves  no  room  for  adjustment."  Graves 
amended  the  challenge,  and  Wise  took  it  to 
Cilley  at  his  quarters,  at  Guest's  Boarding 
House,  on  Third  Street,  between  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  and  C  Street. 

Upon  presentation  of  the  challenge  to  Mr. 
Cilley,  he  said:  "Mr.  Wise,  I  accept  this  chal 
lenge  and  will  send  my  second  to  you  to  agree 
upon  terms." 

The  statements  made  above,  as  far  as  they  re 
late  to  the  debate  in  the  House,  I  make  on  my 
own  recollection  of  them,  which  is  perfectly 
clear.  As  I  was  in  my  seat  in  the  House  and 
heard  all,  I  observed,  as  I  sat  by  the  side  of  my 
friend,  Gov.  Yell,  of  Arkansas:  "That  man 
Wise  is  the  most  insulting  man  in  debate  I  have 
ever  heard.  If  I  were  a  Democrat134  like  your 
self,  Governor,  I  would  give  that  man  a  thrash 
ing  if  he  talked  to  me  as  he  has  to  Mr.  Cilley. ' ' 
The  Governor  said :  * '  General,  do  you  know  Mr. 
Wise!"  I  said:  "No,  I  do  not,  nor  do  I  want 
to."  The  Governor  said:  "Well,  sir,  he  is  one 


160     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

of  the  most  gentlemanly,  polite  and  agreeable 
men  that  I  have  ever  met,  when  outside  of  this 
House.'' 

On  the  day  following  the  delivery  of  the  chal 
lenge  to  Mr.  Cilley,  the  Hon.  Franklin  Pierce, 
then  a  member  of  the  Senate  from  New  Hamp 
shire,  and  with  whom  I  had  served  in  the  House 
of  Eepresentatives,  where  we  became  warm 
personal  friends,  called  to  see  me  at  my  board 
ing  house,  Dawson's  of  Capitol  Hill,  about  150 
yards  N.  E.  of  the  then  Senate  Chamber.  On 
my  entering  Dr.  Linn's  room  as  usual  about 
3  p.  m.,  I  found  General  Pierce  standing  be 
tween  Dr.  Linn  (on  his  sick  bed)  and  Col. 
Benton,  his  colleague,  who  sat  on  his  left.  Dr. 
Linn  remarked  as  I  entered :  ' l  There 's  the  man ; 
he'll  do  it."  I  said:  "Doctor,  what  shall  I  tell 
Proctor  (our  servant,)  to  bring  you  for  your 
dinner  ? ' '  He  replied :  "  A  small  plate  of  soup. ' ' 
And  I  left  his  room  and  went  into  my  own.  As 
I  went  out  I  heard  Col.  Benton  say : ' ' They  can't 
object  to  the  rifle  and  you  can  refer  them  to  the 
cases  of  Moore  and  Letcher,  of  Kentucky,  and 
others." 

I  went  to  my  room  and  sat  down  to  write, 
leaving  my  door  ajar  that  I  might  hear  the  din 
ner  bell.  General  Pierce  soon  followed  me,  and 
placing  his  hand  on  my  shoulder,  asked :  ' l  Gen 
eral,  will  you  do  this  1 "  "I  don 't  know  to  what 
you  allude",  I  replied.  "General,  don't  you 


THE  CILLEY  DUEL  161 

know  that  Graves,  of  Kentucky,  has  challenged 
our  friend,  Cilley  ? ' '  And  he  continued : l '  Cilley 
has  sent  me  to  you  to  ask  you  to  act  as  his 
second. "  "What  has  he  challenged  Cilley 
for?",  I  asked.  He  answered:  "On  account  of 
that  fierce  debate  in  the  House  the  other  day." 
"Why!"  said  I,  "Graves  never  said  a  word  in 
that  debate,  for  I  heard  it  all."  "Well!"  he 
persisted,  ' '  Cilley  wants  you  to  be  his  second. ' ' 
I  replied:  "I  cannot  under  any  circumstances 
consent  to  serve  as  his  second,  for  it  would 
connect  me  with  the  Democratic  party,  defeat 
all  my  measures  here  and  my  re-election  to  Con 
gress."135  He  again  importuned  me,  but  as  I 
persistently  refused,  he  asked:  "Will  you  go 
with  me  to  the  House  now  to  see  Gov.  Miller,  of 
Missouri,  who  is  his  second  choice  for  second?" 
I  answered:  "Yes,  but  I  will  do  nothing  to  con 
nect  me  with  the  duel. ' ' 

We  went  down,  entered  his  carriage  and 
drove  over  to  the  Capitol,  I  taking  a  seat  in  the 
Vice  President's  room  while  he  went  over  to 
the  House.  He  soon  returned  saying:  "Gov. 
Miller  positively  declines  to  act  as  second,  say 
ing  he  is  entirely  too  old,  and  that  he  has  never 
had  anything  to  do  with  such  affairs  since  the 
War  of  1812."  Mr.  Pierce  then  asked:  "Now, 
General,  will  you  go  with  me  to  see  Mr.  Cilley?" 

As  we  drove  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  he  saw 
Col.  J.  W.  Schaumbourg  walking  and  called  to 

11 


162     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

his  driver  to  stop  and  take  Col.  Schaumbourg 
into  the  carriage  with  us,  and  we  drove  to  Dr. 
Duncan's  quarters.  Entering  Dr.  Duncan's 
room,  we  found  Mr.  Cilley  and  Hon.  Wm.  By- 
num,  of  North  Carolina,  of  the  House.  Cilley 
threw  his  arms  around  me  and  said:  "I  thank 
you,  dear  General,  for  coming  to  serve  me  in 
this  affair."  I  said:  "Cilley,  I  can't  be  your 
second. "  "  Oh ! "  he  said,  ' '  come  out  here  and 
let  me  talk  to  you. ' '  We  went  out  into  the  hall. 
He  said:  "General,  Mr.  Graves  is  a  large  and 
strong  man;  he  can  take  me  by  the  collar  with 
his  left  hand,  hold  me  off  and  cowhide  me,  or 
cane  me,  and  would  publish  me  as  a  coward." 
I  said:  "Mr.  Cilley,  if  I  act  as  your  second  it 
will  connect  me  with  the  Democratic  party,  of 
which  you  are  a  leader,  defeat  all  my  measures 
here  in  Congress,  and  prevent  my  re-election  as 
Delegate. ' '  He  replied :  ' l  General,  I  have  stood 
by  you  in  all  your  measures  in  the  House.  We 
have  been  warm  personal  friends  ever  since  I 
have  been  here,  have  served  as  brother  members 
for  the  great  22nd  of  February  ball.  I  would 
do  as  much  for  you.  Are  you  willing  to  see  me 
disgraced?"  "No",  said  I,  "come  in  and  I 
will  serve  you,  though  it  will  ruin  me  as  a  Dele 
gate." 

On  reentering  the  room,  I  asked:  "When, 
how  and  where  do  you  want  to  fight?"  He  re 
plied  :  "  I  want  to  fight  immediately,  with  rifles, 


THE  CILLEY  DUEL  163 

and  on  the  Marlborough  Road  to  Baltimore, 
outside  of  the  district."  I  asked:  "Have  you  a 
rifle?"  Whereupon  Dr.  Duncan  arose  from  his 
seat,  went  to  his  clothes  press,  took  out  a  rifle, 
beautifully  ornamented  with  silver,  and  handed 
it  to  me.  I  said:  "Why  do  you  use  a  rifle, 
Cilley  ?  Are  you  acquainted  with  the  use  of  a 
rifle?"  "No",  he  said,  "I  am  not  at  all,  but 
Mr.  Graves,  being  a  Kentucldan,  is,  doubtless, 
so  I  choose  a  rifle,  so  as  to  be  on  equal  terms 
with  him."  I  examined  the  rifle  and  looking 
into  it  said,  "This  is  a  small  bore."  Dr.  Dun 
can  immediately  replied,  "General,  I  had  this 
rifle  made  to  order  in  Cincinnati.  I  can  take  the 
head  off  a  squirrel  every  pop  from  the  highest 
tree  in  the  Miami  bottom."  Cilley  remarked: 
'  *  General,  I  like  this  rifle  very  much. "  "  It  is  a 
little  too  soft  on  the  trigger,  a  little  too  long  in 
the  breach",  I  replied.  "It  has  a  temper  screw. 
I  can  make  it  as  hard  as  you  please  and  I  can 
take  off  the  breach  very  easily,  which  will  make 
it  two  inches  shorter. "  "  But ' ',  I  asked,  '  *  Have 
you  seen  any  other  rifle ! "  "  No  ",  he  answered, 
"I  have  not." 

I  sat  down  at  the  table,  drew  up  the  terms  of 
meeting,  and  wrote  a  short  note  to  our  mutual 
friend,  Hon.  John  Forsyth,  Secretary  of  State, 
asking  for  the  use  of  his  rifle,  which  I  handed  to 
Bynum  to  deliver ;  one  to  Hon.  Francis  P.  Blair, 
editor  of  the  Globe,  handing  this  to  Col.  Schaum- 


164     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

bcmrg  to  deliver,  and  one  to  Mr.  Bives,  (Mr. 
Blair's  partner),  which,  last  I  entrusted  to  Dr. 
Duncan  to  deliver,  all  containing  the  same  re 
quest. 

I  went  down  stairs,  entered  the  carriage  and 
drove  to  Mr.  Wise's  quarters  at  King's  Board 
ing  House  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  On  being 
shown  up  to  his  rooms  by  his  black  servant,  I 
found  him  and  Mr.  Graves  standing  by  the 
bureau,  examining  a  pair  of  dueling  pistols,  and 
I  said:  "Gentlemen,  you  are  engaged  in  the 
very  business  that  has  brought  me  here.  Mr. 
Wise,  I  have  a  note  for  you  from  Mr.  Cilley, 
agreeing  upon  the  terms  of  the  duel."  Wise 
said:  "Graves,  you  had  better  go  out."  And 
he  did.  I  then  handed  Mr.  Wise  Mr.  Cilley 's 
acceptance  of  the  challenge,  with  the  terms,  etc., 
which  he  proceeded  to  read.  He  immediately 
exclaimed,  with  a  terrible  oath:  "This  is  mur 
derous!  Eifles!  Who  ever  heard  of  rifles?" 
I  replied:  "Mr.  Wise,  these  are  our  terms,  sir; 
you  can  accept  them  or  not,  as  you  please." 
"Oh!",  he  said,  "I  have  no  other  alternative, 

but  I  will  be  d d  if  I  know  where  there's  a 

rifle  in  the  City. ' '  I  replied :  i  i  There  are  plenty 
of  rifles  —  a  Government  arsenal  full,  and  oth 
ers." 

As  I  walked  out  of  the  door,  he  smilingly 
said :  ' '  The  distance  is  so  great  that  they  will 
not  be  apt  to  hit  each  other."  I  returned  im- 


THE  CILLEY  DUEL  165 

mediately  to  Dr.  Duncan's  room  and  reported 
minutely  what  had  occurred  at  Mr.  Wise 's  room. 
I  found  that  Bynum  had  returned  with  the  rifle 
of  For sy th  and  Schaumbourg  with  the  rifle  of 
Blair,  but  Dr.  Duncan  had  not  gone  to  Rives  to 
get  his  rifle,  he  being  anxious  to  have  his  own 
rifle  used  in  the  duel.  Mr.  Cilley  remarked  that 
the  fact  that  I  found  them  examining  pistols 
confirmed  his  opinion  that  they  would  expressly 
object  to  fight  with  pistols. 

Dr.  Duncan  said:  "Now,  General,  go  back  to 
Wise  and  tell  him  we  have  two  rifles  here,  that 
you  have  no  use  for  them,  and  they  can  have 
either  one  of  them."  I  wrote  a  note  to  Wise 
saying  this,  drove  back  to  his  room,  handed  him 
the  note  which  he  read  and  replied:  "Thank 
you  very  much,  General,  but  we  have  a  rifle." 
By  this  time  it  had  become  too  late  to  go  to  the 
grounds,  so  it  was  postponed  until  early  the 
next  morning.130 

We,  of  the  Cilley  party,  started  out  in  the 
omnibus,  the  only  one  then  in  the  City  of  Wash 
ington,  Graves  and  his  party  following  us  in  two 
carriages.  As  we  drove  by  my  lodgings,  we 
stopped  and  I  went  up  to  my  room  and  brought 
down  to  the  omnibus  with  me  a  pair  of  buffalo 
boots,  which  I  put  on  Cilley 's  feet,  placing  the 
robe  under  them. 

Our  party  consisted  of  Mr.  Cilley,  principal, 
his  second,  myself,  Col.  J.  W.  Schaumbourg, 


166     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

and  Dr.  Duncan,  of  the  House  of  Kepresenta- 
tives,  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  as  his  surgeon,  and 
Hon.  Mr.  Bynum  of  North  Carolina.  The 
Graves  party  consisted  of  W.  J.  Graves,  prin 
cipal,  H.  A.  Wise,  second,  J.  J.  Crittenden,  of 
the  United  States  Senate,  Mr.  Foltz,  surgeon  of 
the  United  States  Navy,  as  surgeon,  and  Hon. 
Mr.  Menif ee  of  Kentucky. 

As  we  drove  out  of  the  city,  Cilley  remarked 
to  me  smilingly:  "I  shall  have  to  go  to  Wis 
consin  to  live  after  this  affair,  as  my  constitu 
ents  would  never  vote  for  me  again  or  employ 
me  as  their  attorney." 

A  short  time  before  reaching  the  place  of 
meeting,  I  saw  two  or  three  men  following  Mr. 
Graves '  carriage  on  horseback.  I  got  out  of  the 
omnibus  and  went  up  to  Mr.  Wise  and  asked 
him  if  those  men  belonged  to  his  party.  He  re 
plied  that  they  did  not  and  that  he  had  told 
them  not  to  follow  us,  but  they  replied,  "We  are 
free  men  and  can  go  where  we  please  on  a  public 
road."  I  saw  two  other  Kentucky  gentlemen  in 
one  of  Mr.  Wise's  carriages,  and  two  rifles.  I 
said:  "Mr.  Wise,  you  have  no  right  to  have 
more  than  one  rifle."  He  answered:  "General, 
one  has  a  bullet  half  way  down  and  we  can 
neither  get  it  up  nor  down,  and  you  can  take  it 
if  you  want  it. "  "  Well ' ',  I  replied,  ' '  they  must 
not  be  on  the  ground,  nor  must  those  other 
gentlemen."  To  which  he  assented. 


THE  CILLEY  DUEL  167 

On  reaching  an  open,  deserted  field,  I  stopped 
and  told  Mr.  Wise  "this  is  the  ground  we  have 
selected."  Mr.  Wise  and  I  locked  arms  and 
stepped  off  eighty  steps,  which  we  supposed 
would  be  eighty  yards,  as  prescribed  by  the 
terms,  but  which  turned  out  to  be  eighty-five 
yards  when  measured,  next  day,  with  the  tape 
measure,  as  I  was  informed  and  believe. 

Mr.  Wise  and  I  were  forty  steps  apart,  equi 
distant  from  the  line  of  fire,  each  of  us  on  the 
right  of  our  respective  friends.  We  loaded  our 
rifles  in  the  presence  of  each  other,  then  placed 
them  in  the  hands  of  our  principals  and 
marched  back  to  our  respective  stations ;  when 
I  gave  the  word  as  follows :  l  i  Gentlemen,  are 
you  ready?  Fire !  One  —  two  —  three  —  four 
-  stop ! ' '  The  principals  fired,  when  I  asked : 
"All  right,  Mr.  Wise!"  He  replied:  "Yes, 
sir."  Then  we  both  went  to  our  friends. 
When  I  got  within  hearing  distance  of  Mr. 
Cilley  he  said:  "I  fired  too  soon;  the  trigger,  as 
I  expected,  deceived  me."  He  had  fired  into 
the  ground  but  a  few  steps  before  him.  I  told 
him  to  "be  more  deliberate  and  not  fire  till 
you  have  taken  good  aim."  I  returned  to  my 
post  with  Mr.  Cilley 's  rifle  in  my  hand  and  said 
to  Mr.  Wise:  "I  hope  Mr.  Graves  is  now  satis 
fied.  My  friend  fired  into  the  ground  but  a  few 
steps  before  him,  whilst  Mr.  Graves  made  a  de 
liberate  shot  at  about  the  word  ' three'."  Mr. 


168     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Wise  replied:  "Mr.  Graves  requires  another 
shot."  We  loaded  our  rifles,  placed  them  again 
in  the  hands  of  our  principals  and  returned  to 
our  posts,  when  I  again  gave  the  word  as  in  the 
first  instance.  Mr.  Graves  fired  at  about  the 
word  "one"  and  Mr.  Cilley  at  about  the  word 
'  *  three ' '.  When  Mr.  Cilley  7s  rifle  went  off,  Mr. 
Graves  stepped  back  one  step.  Again  I  asked : 
' l  All  right,  Mr.  Wise  f  "  "  Yes,  sir  ",  he  replied. 
When  I  approached  Mr.  Cilley,  I  said:  "You 
made  a  good  shot!"  He  replied:  "Yes,  I  think 
I  hit  him,  for  he  stepped  back."  I  again  re 
turned  to  my  post  and  said  to  Mr.  Wise:  "I 
hope  Mr.  Graves  is  now  satisfied. ' '  He  replied : 
"I'll  answer  in  a  few  moments,"  thereupon 
walking  over  to  Graves,  when  he  (Wise), 
Graves,  Crittenden  and  Menifee  had  an  appar 
ently  earnest  conversation.  Mr.  Wise  then  re 
turned  to  his  post  and  said:  "Mr.  Graves  re 
quires  another  shot."  When  Col.  James  W. 
Schaumbourg  said:  "By  G — !  I  think  we  had 
better  make  a  general  fight  of  it!"  I  turned  to 
Schaumbourg,  and  said:  "Jim,  keep  quiet;  you 
have  nothing  to  say ! ' '  Mr.  Wise  and  I  met  as 
before,  loaded  our  rifles  for  the  third  time  and 
placed  them  in  the  hands  of  our  principals, 
when  I  returned  to  my  place  and  gave  the  word 
as  formerly.  At  about  the  word  "three"  both 
rifles  went  off  so  simultaneously  that  persons 
who  did  not  see  the  smoke  thought  but  one  rifle 


THE  CILLEY  DUEL  169 

had  been  fired.  Mr.  Cilley  fell,  and  when  I 
again  asked:  "All  right,  Mr.  Wise!'7  he  re 
plied  "Yes."  Thereupon  I  ran  to  Mr.  Cilley, 
who  gave  a  last  gasp  and  was  dead.  In  a  few 
seconds  Mr.  Wise  approached  and  asked : ' '  Gen. 
Jones,  how  is  your  friend?"  I  replied:  "He  is 
dead,  sir. ' ' 

He  returned  immediately  to  Mr.  Graves,  who 
came  walking  up  towards  me,  with  Mr.  Critten- 
den  and  Mr.  Menifee.  Mr.  Wise  then  asked: 
"Have  you  any  objections  to  Mr.  Graves  seeing 
Mr.  Cilley?"  They  continued  to  advance  a  few 
steps,  then  turned  and  went  away. 

We  laid  Mr.  Cilley  on  the  floor  of  the  omnibus 
and  took  him  to  his  quarters  in  the  City. 

On  Sunday  following,  Mr.  Wise  came  to  my 
boarding  house,  saying  he  wished  to  see  me  pri 
vately.  On  being  shown  to  my  room,  he  said: 
' i  General,  I  have  called  to  see  you  to  ask  if  you 
are  willing  to  join  me  in  a  statement  to  the  pub 
lic  as  to  the  true  facts  attending  this  duel? ' '  At 
this  moment  my  breakfast  bell  rang  and  I  said : 
"Mr.  Wise,  let  us  go  down  and  get  some  break 
fast.  ' '  He  replied :  "  I  have  had  my  breakfast, 
General;  you  go  and  get  yours  and  I  will  wait 
here  until  you  return."  When  I  reached  my 
seat  at  the  table  I  asked  Col.  Benton,  president 
of  our  "mess":  "Who  do  you  think  I  have  in 
my  room?  Mr.  Wise  has  just  called  to  see  me 
to  ascertain  whether  I  am  willing  to  unite  with 


170     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

him  in  making  a  statement  to  the  public."  Col. 
Benton  replied:  "That's  just  right,  General,  for 
when  I  had  my  duel  with  Lucas,  Judge  Lawless, 
my  second,  who  sits  by  your  side,  and  Mr. 
Lucas7  second,  Barton,  made  a  joint  statement 
to  the  public  at  St.  Louis,  as  to  all  the  facts  and 
circumstances  attending  that  duel." 

After  a  hasty  breakfast  I  returned  to  my  room 
and  Mr.  Wise  and  I  spent  the  whole  day  nearly 
drawing  off  the  statement  which  was  given  to 
the  newspapers  and  later  to  the  investigating 
committee  of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives. 

In  the  course  of  our  conversation  that  day 
Mr.  Wise  said:  "General,  if  I  had  known  that 
Mr.  Graves  challenged  Mr.  Cilley  on  account  of 
that  d d  corrupt  bribed  coward,  James  Wat 
son  Webb,  I  would  never  have  carried  that 
challenge  to  Mr.  Cilley. ' '  Mr.  Wise  satisfied  me 
in  that  conversation  that  day  that  he  was  op 
posed  to  the  duel,  and  that  Mr.  Clay  prompted 
it  because  of  his  great  friendship  for  Gen. 
Webb,  who  as  editor  of  the  New  York  Courier 
and  Enquirer  was  advocating  Mr.  Clay's  elec 
tion  to  the  Presidency.137 

I  had  had  a  great  prejudice  against  Mr.  Wise 
because  he  seemed  to,  and  did,  domineer  as  the 
leader  of  the  Whig  party  in  the  House  of  Rep 
resentatives,  but  our  association  in  this  duel 
and  our  correspondence  subsequently,  made  us 
warm  friends  as  long  as  he  lived. 


VI 

LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS 

IN  1837,  whilst  a  delegate  in  Congress,  a  pub 
lic  meeting  was  held  at  Sinipee,  now  a  deserted 
village  in  Grant  County,  Wisconsin,  opposite 
i i Eagle  Point"  in  this  City,  and  gotten  up  and 
managed  by  my  good  friend,  John  Plumbe,  Jr., 
at  which  memorials  and  resolutions  were  adopt 
ed  and  sent  to  me  praying  Congress  to  make  an 
appropriation  of  money  to  survey  the  route  of 
a  railroad  from  Milwaukee,  through  Sinipee 
and  Dubuque,  to  San  Francisco,  California.138 
I  was  amazed  at  the  temerity  of  my  constitu 
ents,  in  seriously  sending  me  such  an  unheard- 
of  prayer.  Nevertheless,  I  felt  in  duty  bound 
to  present  the  petition,  and  did  so,  when  it  pro 
duced  a  great  laugh  and  hurrah  in  the  house, 
members  singing  out  to  me  that  it  would  not 
be  long  before  my  constituents  would  ask  Con 
gress  to  build  a  railroad  to  the  moon. 

I  urged  the  matter  with  my  usual  energy  and 
boldness  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  securing 
an  appropriation  of  $10,000,139  and  afterwards 
of  knowing  that  the  survey  was  actually  made 
from  Milwaukee  to  Dubuque  for  the  great  road 
which  is  now  in  successful  operation  across  the 

171 


172     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Rocky  Mountains.  That  John  Plumbe,  Jr.,  was 
an  Englishman  by  birth  and  a  gentleman  of 
great  intelligence  and  energy,  and  whose  broth 
er  Richard  and  his  nephew  and  namesake,  John 
Plumbe,  now  reside  at  San  Francisco.  John 
Plumbe,  Jr.,  was  the  same  gentleman  who  acted 
as  secretary  of  the  public  meeting  which  was 
held  in  Dubuque  the  next  spring  and  which  pe 
titioned  President  Van  Buren  to  appoint  me 
Governor  of  Iowa,  at  the  organization  of  Iowa 
on  the  4th  of  July,  1838. 

My  right  to  the  seat  as  Delegate  was  contest 
ed  by  my  competitor,  Judge  Doty,  unsuccess 
fully  [successfully],  in  1838.  Three  or  four 
days  thereafter,  I  received  a  note  from  the  Hon. 
Mr.  Giddings  of  Ohio,  stating  that  a  resolution 
in  the  House  would  be  introduced  denying  my 
right  to  receive  compensation  for  my  attend 
ance  at  that  session  of  Congress.  I  showed  the 
note  to  Dr.  Linn,  who  said:  "Speaker  Polk  ad 
vised  you  to  get  your  check  of  $1900 ",  which  I 
did.  "Yes,  Dr.,  but  I  will  return  it  to  the 
Speaker  to-morrow  morning." 

After  tea,  when  our  mess  was  assembled  as 
usual  in  our  parlor,  Dr.  Linn  informed  some 
ten  or  twelve  of  the  Senators  and  Representa 
tives  of  the  note  and  said  that  I  had  determined 
to  return  it  the  next  morning.  The  mess  agreed 
with  him  that  I  ought  not  to  do  so,  as  I  had  it 
by  order  of  the  Speaker.  I  acted,  however,  up- 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  173 

on  my  own  judgment  and  sent  it  in  a  note  to 
the  Speaker  of  the  House,  saying  that  I  would 
not  keep  the  money  if  not  entitled  to  it.  That 
day  Mr.  Bond  of  the  House  introduced  the  reso 
lution,  when  the  Speaker  read  my  note  to  the 
House  and  showed  the  check  which  I  had  re 
turned  to  him.  A  warm  debate  ensued  as  to  my 
right  to  the  pay,  which  resulted  in  a  decision  by 
the  House  that  I  was  not  only  entitled  to  the 
pay,  but  also  to  the  seat  for  the  whole  session 
of  Congress,  and  a  motion  for  a  reconsideration 
of  the  question  was  made;  but  as  three  days 
had  passed  since  the  decision  of  the  question 
adversely  to  me,  it  was  ruled  out.140 

Splendid  speeches  were  made  in  my  behalf 
on  that  question  by  Gen.  John  Pope,  Henry  A. 
Wise,  Frank  Thomas,  Richard  Biddle,  and  oth 
ers.  As  the  debate  was  closing,  I  met  in  the 
hall  of  the  House,  Justice  Baldwin  of  the  Su 
preme  Court,  who  said  to  me:  "Mr.  Biddle  has 
just  made  his  speech  demonstrating  your  right 
not  only  to  the  pay  but  also  your  right  to  the 
seat  itself. " 

A  year  or  so  after  that  I  met  at  Hon.  Eobert 
J.  Walker's  house  the  Hon.  Mr.  Biddle,  who 
asked  me  if  I  had  ever  been  informed  as  to  how 
I  had  been  defrauded  out  of  my  seat.  I  told  him 
that  I  had  not.  "Well",  he  said,  "you  were, 
and  I  will  some  day  give  you  all  the  particulars 
thereof."  But  I  never  afterwards  met  him. 


174     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

At  the  passage  of  the  act  to  establish  the 
Territory  of  Iowa  I  was  more  strongly  recom 
mended  for  the  appointment  of  her  Governor 
than  any  other  man  was  for  that  office.  Presi 
dent  Van  Buren  was  my  warm  and  devoted 
friend,  as  was  evidenced  by  his  allowing  me  to 
designate  all  the  men  for  all  the  other  offices  of 
Iowa  and  by  his  appointment  of  myself  as  Sur 
veyor  General  at  Dubuque  in  December,  1839. 141 
He  intended  to  appoint  me  Governor  and  would 
have  done  so  but  that  several  Democrats  in  the 
House  of  Eepresentatives  went  to  him  and  told 
him  that  my  appointment  would  ruin  them  and 
him,  too,  because  of  the  false  prejudice  which 
existed  against  me  on  account  of  my  connection 
with  the  Cilley  duel,  which  made  me  many  sin 
cere  friends  in  Congress,  who  understood  the 
circumstances,  as  they  were  not  understood  in 
the  eastern  States. 

Gen.  Warner  Lewis,  my  greatly  lamented 
friend,  who  died  in  1888,  happened  to  call  on  me 
as  he  was  returning  to  Dubuque  from  Virginia 
in  the  spring  of  1838,  when  I  told  him  that  I 
would  in  a  few  days  thereafter  get  my  bill 
through  to  create  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  It 
astonished  him,  as  he  did  not  know  that  such 
favor  was  about  to  be  granted  to  this  portion  of 
the  then  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  As  he  came 
up  the  Mississippi,  returning  home,  he  told  the 
news  all  along  the  river,  when  public  meetings 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  175 

were  held  at  Keokuk,  Fort  Madison,  Burlington, 
Davenport,  Dubuque,  etc.,  recommending  my 
appointment  as  Governor  of  the  Territory. 
Members  of  both  houses  of  Congress  also,  in 
strong  letters  and  petitions  sent  to  the  Presi 
dent,  asked  for  my  appointment.  Among  them 
were  letters  from  Senators  Linn,  Buchanan, 
Crittenden,  Hon.  T.  H.  Benton,  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Territories,  Gov.  Dodge  of  Wis 
consin,  and  others,  urging  my  appointment, 
some  of  which  recommendations  I  include  here 
in.142  I  was  not  appointed,  for  the  reasons  as 
signed  above,  and  to  my  satisfaction,  for  I  was 
heartily  sick  and  tired  of  holding  office  and 
earnestly  desired  to  retire  to  my  farm  at  Sin- 
sinawa  Mound,  to  enjoy  the  cultivation  of  my 
"own  vine  and  fig  tree."  Dr.  Linn  and  Mr. 
Buchanan  and  Mr.  Benton,  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Territories,  earnestly  desired  my 
appointment. 

It  all  resulted  to  my  advantage,  as,  without 
any  effort  on  my  own  part,  I  was  twice  made 
Surveyor  General,  selected  as  United  States 
Clerk  at  Mineral  Point,  and  sent  as  Minister  to 
Bogota  after  two  terms  of  service  in  the  Senate 
of  the  United  States. 

My  action  in  securing  the  appointment  of 
Gen.  Henry  Dodge  as  Wisconsin's  first  Gov 
ernor,  of  Augustus  C.,  a  young  man  just  com 
mencing  life  as  a  poor  merchant  at  Dodgeville, 


176     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

as  Begister  of  Public  Monies  at  Burlington, 
Iowa,  and  of  Ms  brother  Henry  L.  as  Agent  of 
the  Indians  in  New  Mexico,  and  also  of  Patrick 
Quigley,  Thomas  McKnight,  Judge  Corkery  and 
Gen.  Warner  Lewis,  to  the  respective  offices 
held  by  them,  was  wholly  the  suggestion  of  my 
own  mind  and  without  solicitation  on  the  part 
of  any  one.  I  knew  them  to  be  worthy  and  well 
qualified;  hence  I  secured  their  appointments. 
My  action  met  with  universal  approval,  as  was 
the  case  in  all  matters  affecting  the  people  and 
the  Territories,  for  no  petitions  were  ever  sent 
by  my  constituents,  and  I  had  to  act  upon  the 
promptings  of  my  own  mind.143 

I  drew  my  own  bills  and  resolutions  to  secure 
the  action  of  Congress.  In  those  days  I  was  full 
of  energy  and  tact,  never  tiring  in  my  efforts 
to  serve  my  constituents,  and  I  did  not  ask  for 
any  of  the  eleven  or  twelve  offices  which  were 
voluntarily  conferred  upon  me.  Mr.  Buchanan, 
then  a  Senator  in  Congress  from  Pennsylvania, 
was  absent  from  his  seat  when  the  petitions  and 
memorials  were  sent  to  the  President  asking 
for  my  appointment  as  Governor,  and,  as  his 
able  letter  shows,  he  at  his  own  suggestion 
wrote  and  sent  the  letter  to  President  Van 
Buren.  On  his  return  to  his  seat  in  the  Senate 
from  Bedford  Springs  he  came  to  me  and  asked 
me  why  I  did  not  inform  him  of  my  application 
for  the  position.  I  replied  that  I  had  nothing 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  177 

to  do  with  the  matter,  as  it  was  entirely  and 
exclusively  the  suggestion  of  our  friends  —  that 
in  reality  I  did  not  ask  for  or  desire  the  office. 
But  he  was  always  a  sincere  friend  to  me  ever 
since  I  was  introduced  to  him  and  Col.  King  by 
Senator  Linn,  the  last  of  November,  1835,  at  the 
Eelay  House,  near  Baltimore,  for  which  I  am 
and  have  ever  been  profoundly  grateful.  I  be 
lieve  that  he  was  one  of  the  purest,  wisest,  and 
greatest  men  who  ever  occupied  office  in  our 
country.  A  committee  of  Democrats  from  Wis 
consin  induced  me  to  go  to  him  to  prevail  upon 
him,  in  1858,  to  permit  his  name  to  be  announced 
as  a  candidate  for  reelection  to  the  Presidency 
of  the  United  States,  when  he  promptly  declined 
the  proffered  honor,  declaring  that  nothing 
could  induce  him  to  fill  the  office  of  President 
for  another  term.  He  was  proud  of  having  been 
the  Chief  Executive,  but  could  not  think  of  being 
made  a  candidate  for  reelection. 

Gov.  Dodge  of  Wisconsin  could  have  been 
President  of  the  United  States  instead  of  J.  K. 
Polk  if  he  had  consented  to  allow  his  name  to 
be  presented  by  the  Committee,  headed  by  Hon. 
Linn  Boyd  of  Kentucky,  of  the  House  of  Eepre- 
sentatives,  to  the  National  Democratic  Conven 
tion  which  sat  at  Baltimore  in  1844.  The  Com 
mittee  went  down  to  Washington  twice  to  see 
him  on  the  subject,  but  he  persistently  refused 
the  great  honor.  He  said  that  while  there  were 

12 


178     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

such  distinguished  men  as  Mr.  Van  Buren,  Col. 
Benton,  Silas  Wright,  and  Mr.  Buchanan,  and 
others,  there  was  no  use  of  thinking  of  him. 
' '  They  want  the  office  and  are  qualified  to  fill  it. 
I  do  not  want  the  place  and  am  not  qualified  for 
it."  They  sent  his  son  Augustus  C.,  then  Dele 
gate  with  him,  to  intercede  with  him.  He  said : 
"Augustus,  I  have  twice  told  those  gentlemen 
why  I  declined  their  kind  offer.  Go  out  of  my 
room  or  I  will  put  you  out!"  In  the  spring  of 
1844  I  wrote  a  pamphlet  and  had  it  printed  in 
Dubuque,  urging  the  nomination  of  Gov.  Dodge, 
and  sent  it  to  all  of  the  members  of  the  Demo 
cratic  Convention,  the  most  of  whom  I  knew 
well. 

In  1848,  I  yielded  to  the  importunities  of  such 
friends  as  Judge  John  King,  Patrick  Quigley, 
Charles  Corkery  —  God  bless  them  I  pray  - 
and  others,  who  had  urged  me  for  a  year  of  two 
before  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States,  I  being  then  Surveyor  Gen 
eral  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  feeling  confident,  as 
Col.  Taylor  had  been  elected  President,  that  I 
would  be  removed  from  the  Surveyor  General 
ship.  At  the  instance  of  Gen.  A.  C.  Dodge,  in 
the  fall  of  1847, 1  went  down  to  Iowa  City  to  try 
to  bring  on  the  election,  he  telling  me  that 
through  the  influence  of  Major  Jacob  Huner,  a 
great  friend  of  mine,  as  he  informed  me,  and 
the  leader  of  the  "Possum"  party,  I  could  se- 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  179 

cure  the  election  of  Senator.  But  I  was  unable 
to  induce  the  "  Possums "  (nine  of  them)  to  go 
into  the  election  unless  Gen.  Dodge  was  dropped 
as  a  candidate.  They  said  they  would  vote  for 
me  but  that  they  could  not  vote  for  Gen.  Dodge, 
because,  as  he  had  made  Col.  Edward  John- 
stone  the  United  States  Attorney  for  the  Terri 
tory,  they  believed  he  would  make  him  the 
United  States  Judge  and  that  then  they  would 
lose  their  claims  on  the  Half  Breed  Tract.  I 
could  not  induce  them  to  go  into  the  election, 
and  so  I  came  home. 

Soon,  however,  a  joint  convention  of  the  two 
houses  was  held  and  Judge  Thomas  S.  Wilson 
came  within  one  vote  of  being  elected  Iowa's 
first  United  States  Senator,  in  my  absence. 
This  was  in  December,  1847.144 

I  did  not  consent  to  have  my  name  used  as  a 
candidate  for  the  Senate  of  the  United  States, 
in  1847,  as  is  erroneously  stated  by  my  old  and 
valued  friend,  Hon.  Hawkins  Taylor,  in  the  last 
number  of  the  Iowa  Historical  Record  in  his 
otherwise  wonderfully  accurate  history  of  the 
session  of  the  legislature  of  Iowa  in  1847,145  but 
I  persistently  refused  to  permit  Judge  John 
King,  Patrick  Quigley,  Judge  Charles  Corkery, 
Thomas  McKnight  and  other  good  friends,  so 
to  announce  me  until  1848,  when  I  feared  Gen. 
Taylor  would  beat  my  noble,  great  and  good 
friend  Gen.  Cass  for  the  Presidency  of  the 


180     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

United  States,  and  when  I  supposed  that  I 
would  be  removed  from  the  office  of  Surveyor 
General  of  Wisconsin,  an  office  which  I  greatly 
preferred  and  which  I  was  better  qualified  to 
fill. 

After  I  was  announced  as  candidate  for  the 
United  States  Senate,  I  did  not  once,  during  the 
whole  year,  leave  my  office  to  go  into  the  State 
to  electioneer  for  the  place,  as  I  knew  that  my 
competitors,  Judge  Wilson,  Gov.  Hempstead, 
Judge  Grant  and  others  were  doing.  Nor  did  I 
ever  ask  any  man  to  vote  for  me,  or  try  to  in 
duce  any  one  to  do  so.  During  the  summer  and 
fall  of  1847  Hon.  Thomas  Eogers  came  to  see 
me  nearly  every  day  to  induce  me  to  give  my 
influence  for  Judge  Wilson  for  the  Senate.  The 
more  he  would  plead  with  me,  the  more  deter 
mined  was  I  to  oppose  Wilson  to  the  bitter  end. 
He  finally  told  Wilson  that  he  could  do  nothing 
with  me  and  advised  him  to  call  and  see  me  in 
person,  and  to  make  a  strong  appeal  to  me,  as 
I  was  a  generous  hearted  man  and  might  be  in 
duced  to  support  him.  And  so  one  night  be 
tween  ten  and  eleven  o'clock  Wilson  came  to 
see  me  and  rang  my  bell,  when  I  met  him  at  the 
door  in  my  night  clothes.  He  said:  "You  have 
retired,  and  I  '11  call  tomorrow. "  "  No,  come  in, 
Judge,  I  am  watching  over  my  sick  little  son." 
We  took  seats,  and  he  said :  "  I  am  going  down 
through  the  State  to  see  the  people,  to-morrow, 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  181 

on  the  matter,  and  I  concluded  I  would  call  to 
see  how  you  feel  on  the  subject  of  the  election 
of  the  United  States  Senator."  I  replied:  "I 
can  not  speak  freely  to  you  on  that  subject  in 
my  own  house.  I  will  see  you  in  the  morning." 
"Oh",  he  replied,  "I  will  leave  in  the  morn 
ing.  Speak  out  frankly  what  your  views  and 
opinions  are."  ""Well,  then,  Judge,  I  shall  con 
tinue  to  do  all  that  I  possibly  can  to  defeat  your 
election."  .... 

The  next  year  I  consented  to  run  and  was 
elected  over  Judge  Wilson,  Hon.  Chas.  Mason, 
first  Chief  Justice  of  Iowa,  Judge  James  Grant, 
J.  F.  Kinney,  and  some  five  or  six  others,  be 
sides  Gov.  Stephen  Hempstead,  Gen.  Fletcher 
and  Lucius  H.  Langworthy 

In  the  fall  of  1848,  I  permitted  my  friends  to 
announce  me  as  a  candidate  for  the  Senate, 
and  about  the  last  week  in  November  I  set  out 
in  my  carriage  for  Iowa  City  as  an  avowed 
candidate,  my  friends,  Patrick  Quigley,  Judge 
Corkery,  and  my  nephew,  Wm.  Ashley  Jones, 
riding  with  me.  Wm.. Ashley  asked  me  to  drive 
down  by  the  Miners'  Express  printing  office,  as 
he  wanted  to  get  a  box  there.  He  said:  "This 
box  contains  a  biography  of  yourself,  uncle, 
which  I  have  written,  with  the  assistance  of  our 
friends  here,  Messrs.  Quigley  and  Corkery." 
That  was  the  first  I  knew  of  it.  At  Iowa  City, 
I  and  my  friends  stopped  at  Swan's  Hotel. 


182     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Gen.  Dodge,  Judge  Wilson  and  others  put  up  at 
Crummey's  Hotel  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city. 
The  Convention  was  held  the  same  evening  we 
reached  the  city,  when  I  was  nominated  on  the 
third  ballot,  by  a  handsome  majority  over  my 
nine  or  ten  competitors,  Judge  Thomas  S.  Wil 
son  and  Stephen  Hempstead,  of  Dubuque, 
Judge  James  Grant  of  Davenport,  Judge  J.  F. 
Kinney,  of  West  Point  in  Lee  County,  Col.  Ed 
ward  Johnstone  of  Lee  County,  Gen.  Fletcher  of 
Muscatine,  and  others.  As  soon  as  I  was  nom 
inated  we  heard  the  great  shout,  "Hurrah  for 
Dodge  and  Jones",  reverberating,  and  directly 
my  room  was  filled  by  my  friends,  who  seized 
me  and  putting  me  on  their  shoulders,  carried 
me  down  to  meet  Gen.  Dodge  and  his  friends 
and  to  go  to  a  saloon  to  get  some  oysters,  wine, 
cake,  etc.  We  had  a  real  "feast  of  reason  and 
flow  of  soul." 

The  next  morning  Gen.  Dodge  called  on  me 
and  said :  ' l  Ought  we  not  to  be  grateful  to  God 
Almighty  and  our  countrymen  for  the  great 
honors  conferred  upon  us!"  "Yes,  Augustus, 
but  we  have  got  to  work  now,"  I  replied. 

Gen.  Dodge  and  I  went  on  to  Washington. 
On  going  into  the  Senate  Chamber  to  take  our 
seats,  as  a  member  of  that  body  was  delivering 
a  speech,  I  suggested  to  Gen.  Dodge  that  we  go 
up  to  Col.  Benton  and  shake  hands  with  him. 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  183 

We  did  so ;  when  taking  each  of  us  by  the  hand, 
he  sang  out  in  a  loud  voice,  interrupting  the 
proceedings  of  the  Senate:  "This  is  too  good! 
too  good !  too  good !  Two  of  the  sons,  whom  I 
knew  as  children,  of  two  of  my  oldest  and  best 
Missouri  friends  come  here  to  be  my  brother 
Senators".  Continuing,  he  declared:  "Both  of 
your  fathers  worked  to  make  me  Missouri's 
first  United  States  Senator."146  (Col.  Benton 
remained  our  devoted  friend  as  long  as  he 
lived.)  He  then  said:  "Mr.  President,  I  move 
that  all  other  business  be  now  suspended,  that 
these  gentlemen  may  be  sworn  in  and  take  their 
seats."147  The  President  put  the  motion, 
which  was  adopted.  Col.  Benton  led  us  around 
and  introduced  us  to  the  Vice  President  of  the 
United  States,  then  presiding,  when  we  were 
sworn  in  and  drew  lots  for  seats.148  Gen. 
Dodge  drew  the  short  term,  and  I  the  long.  We 
telegraphed  that  drawing  to  the  legislature, 
when  Gen.  Dodge  was  elected  for  the  next  long 
term,  to  end  March  4,  1855. 

When  Gen.  A.  C.  Dodge  and  I  called  to  see 
President  Polk,  on  reaching  Washington,  he 
said  to  us  that ' '  there  are  no  two  men  in  Iowa  or 
the  United  States  whom  I  would  rather  wel 
come  to  Washington  City  as  Senators  from  the 
new  State  of  Iowa  than  General  A.  C.  Dodge 
and  yourself."  And  his  future  course  proved 
the  sincerity  of  his  remarks. 


184     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Gen.  Dodge  and  I  left  Iowa  City,  the  then  seat 
of  government  of  Iowa,  on  the  morning  of  the 
8th  of  December,  1848,  for  Washington  City,  he 
to  go  by  his  home  at  Burlington  and  I  by  mine 
at  Dubuque.  He  had  much  the  better  and 
shorter  route  to  travel,  and  stages  to  ride  in, 
while  I  often  had  to  ride  much  of  the  way  in 
farm  wagons,  when  our  stages  would  get  stuck 
in  the  frozen  mud  or  deep  snow.  He  reached 
the  Federal  City  on  the  24th  and  I  on  the  25th 
of  December,  and  we  were  sworn  in  on  the  next 
day,  the  26th  of  December,  1848.  He  went  di 
rectly  to  Brown's,  now  the  Metropolitan  Hotel. 
I  had  been  informed,  on  my  arrival,  that  Gen. 
Dodge  was  boarding  at  Gilbert's,  on  the  South 
side  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue  at  the  corner  of 
5th  Street.  Upon  reaching  the  door,  Mr.  Gil 
bert  met  me,  and  I  immediately  engaged  my 
room  with  him,  and  called  for  Gen.  Dodge.  He 
ushered  in  Governor  Dodge,  who  told  me  that 
Augustus  would  not  board  there  because  the 
great  abolitionist  Wilmot,  and  others  of  his  pol 
itics,  were  messing  there.  Gen.  A.  C.  Dodge 
soon  came  and  consented  to  take  a  room  there, 
as  I  thought  we  could  get  along,  insomuch  as  his 
father  and  Senator  Felch  of  Michigan,  Demo 
crats  also,  were  in  the  mess.  We  took  the  only 
two  vacant  rooms  in  the  third  story.  I  soon 
found  that  the  General,  my  colleague,  was  a 
great  cigar  smoker,  a  habit  I  detested,  and  so  I 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  185 

had  our  servant  stuff,  with  cotton,  the  cracks 
around  the  door  between  our  two  rooms,  and 
even  the  keyhole,  to  keep  the  disagreeable  smell 
of  cigars  out  of  my  apartment.  He  frequently 
came  into  my  room  smoking,  notwithstanding 
my  protests,  and  until  I  locked  him  out,  when  he 
promised  that  "If  you  will  let  me  in  I  will  never 
smoke  again!"  And  he  never  did  from  that 
time,  for  which  he  often  sincerely  thanked  me. 

After  Mr.  Buchanan 's  inauguration  I  called 
upon  him  and  said :  "  I  am  about  to  return  home 
to  Iowa  and  would  like  to  know,  Mr.  President, 
what  you  intend  to  do  with  the  men  (all  Demo 
crats)  now  holding  office  in  my  State." 
"Why",  he  said,  "you  and  my  Cabinet  are  op 
posed  to  rotation  and  we  have  determined  to 
keep  them  all  in  office,  but  it  will  break  down  the 
party  unless  we  put  new  men  in  the  places  now 
filled,  although  the  incumbents  are  all  Demo 
crats." 

A  short  time  after  my  return  home,  I  saw  the 
announcement  in  the  organ  of  the  party  at 
Washington  of  the  removal  of  my  old  and  val 
ued  friend,  Col.  Wm.  Patterson,  the  Post  Master 
at  Keokuk,  and  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Wall 
ing,  whom  I  had  refused  to  appoint  or  recom 
mend  for  the  place  before  I  left  Washington. 
I  wrote  a  letter  to  Gen.  Cass,  telling  him  of  my 
conversation  with  Mr.  Buchanan  and  demand 
ing  the  immediate  restoration  of  Col.  Patterson. 


186     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Gen.  Cass  took  my  letters  to  the  President,  who 
soon  had  Col.  Patterson  restored.  When  Gen. 
Pierce  came  into  the  White  House,  in  March, 
1853,  Gen.  Dodge,  Mr.  Henn,  our  noble  colleague 
of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives,  and  I  went  to 
call  upon  the  President.  Gen.  Dodge  was  de 
layed  and  Mr.  Henn  and  I  sent  in  our  cards. 
Mr.  Pierce  sent  word  to  us  to  be  seated  in  his 
private  room  at  Willard's  Hotel.  He  soon  en 
tered  when  he  threw  his  arms  around  me  and  I 
introduced  Mr.  Henn  to  him.  During  our  con 
versation,  addressing  me,  he  said:  "I  want  you 
to  come  to  see  me  before  you  leave,  to  tell  me 
whom  you  wish  removed  and  whom  appointed 
in  Iowa."  I  told  him  that  my  colleague  and  I 
would  write  him  on  the  subject.  Gen.  Dodge 
and  I  never  differed  as  to  any  appointment  ex 
cept  as  to  the  Eegister  of  the  Land  Office  at 
Dubuque.  He  was  for  Col.  McHenry  and  I  was 
for  Alexander  D.  Anderson.  I  knew  the  two 
gentlemen  of  my  town  well.  Mr.  Henn  voted 
with  Gen.  Dodge  and  they  had  Mr.  McHenry 
appointed The  Colonel  was  after 
wards  removed  and  I  recommended  Hon.  A.  D. 
Anderson,  who  was  appointed,  and  gave  great 
satisfaction  to  the  Department,  as  did  also  my 
beloved  friends  Patrick  Quigley  and  Thomas 
McKnight,  whom  I  had  appointed  as  Eeceiver 

and  Depository  of  Public  Monies 

As  Senator  I  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Com- 


LEGISLATIVE  MATTERS  187 

mittee  on  Pensions,  having  Senators  Seward, 
Sumner,  and  other  distinguished  Senators  on 
my  Committee.  I  was  also  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Enrolled  Bills  and  was  selected 
as  the  Senator  from  the  North  West  by  Judge 
Douglas  on  the  great  California  Special  Com 
mittee  of  1850.149  I  do  not  think  that  I  ever 
missed  any  session  of  any  Committee  to  which 
I  belonged,  and  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Enrolled  Bills  I  presented  all  bills  to  the 
President  for  his  approval.  I  therefore  became 
very  intimate  with  Mr.  Buchanan,  as  I  had  been 
with  all  the  Presidents  whom  I  had  ever  known 
-  every  one,  in  fact,  since  the  time  of  James 
Monroe,  no  one  of  them  being  more  sincerely 
attached  to  me  than  John  Quincy  Adams,  who 
was  elected  by  the  House  of  Eepresentatives  in 
February,  1825,  except,  perhaps,  Gen.  Jackson, 
J.  K.  Polk,  and  Franklin  Pierce,  who  treated 
me  as  if  I  had  been  their  brother  or  son. 

As  I  came  home  from  Congress  in  1857  or 
1858,150  I  had  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  riding 
in  the  car  with  my  old  friend,  Gen.  Burnett,  of 
the  United  States  army,  and  to  whom  Gen.  Jack 
son  assigned  the  sword  "to  be  given  to  the 
officer  whom  Gen.  Jackson,  as  umpire,  should 
decide  to  have  been  the  bravest  officer  in  the 
Mexican  war."  We  put  up  at  "Jones  Hotel" 
in  Philadelphia.  On  meeting  at  about  twelve 
o  'clock  that  night,  after  visits  to  our  respective 


188     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

friends,  he  said:  "I  met  Ex-Governor  Porter, 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  told  me  that  he  had  called 
to  see  his  old  friend,  President  Buchanan,  who 
said,  in  answer  to  the  inquiry  as  to  whom  he 
intended  to  nominate  for  Post  Master  General, 
vice  Ex-Governor  Brown,  then  just  deceased, 
that  '  Gen.  Jones  is  the  man  whom  I  would  pre 
fer,  but  my  friends  object  upon  the  ground  that 
Gen.  Jones  is  a  Northern  man  and  that  he  would 
give  the  preponderance  in  my  Cabinet  to  the 
North  over  the  South,  etc.,  etc.  I  tell  them  that 
Gen.  Jones  is  as  much  opposed  to  Abolitionism 
as  any  man  in  the  South.7 


VII 

DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD 

WHEN  the  bill  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  was  under  consideration  in  the  Sen 
ate  for  the  last  time,  I  went  to  Judge  Douglas, 
who  sat  near  by,  and  showed  him  the  following, 
which  I  proposed  to  offer  as  an  amendment: 
instead  of  saying  "to  Galena ",  "via  Galena  to 
Dubuque,  in  the  State  of  Iowa."  He  replied: 
"That  is  a  very  proper  amendment  and  I  am 
glad  you  suggest  it."  General  Shields,  his  col 
league,  coming  up  at  that  moment,  I  presented 
the  amendment  to  him,  saying:  "Your  colleague 
approves  of  this  amendment.  What  say  you  to 
it?"  He  replied:  "I  am  glad  you  propose  to 
offer  it. "  I  then  sent  it  to  the  Secretary  where 
it  was  read,  after  which  I  said:  "Mr.  President, 
this  amendment  which  I  offer  and  which  is  ac 
cepted  by  both  Senators  from  Illinois,  merely 
proposes  to  extend  the  road  fifteen  or  eighteen 
miles  farther  west  and  make  it  terminate  at 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  on  the  Mississippi  River,  a  nav 
igable  stream,  instead  of  Fever  River,  which  is 
nearly  half  of  the  year  not  navigable,  to  connect 
with  the  proposed  Iowa  Railway  from  Dubuque 
to  Sioux  City." 

189 


190     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

This  bill  was  in  a  few  moments  finally  passed 
and  sent  to  the  House  for  concurrence.151  The 
next  morning,  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  near 
the  Tiber,  I  met  Colonel  Baker,152  who  said: 
' '  General,  I  never  can  agree  to  that  amendment 
of  yours  as  it  takes  the  termination  of  that  road 
from  my  town,  Galena,  to  Dubuque,  its  rival." 
He  added:  "I  will  have  it  stricken  out  in  the 
House."  We  argued  the  subject  for  some  time, 
when  he  pursued  his  way  up  to  the  Capitol, 
while  I  went  directly  to  Judge  Douglas'  resi 
dence  and  told  him  of  my  conversation  with 
Baker.  He  said:  "Have  no  fears,  General,  on 
this  subject.  I'll  speak  to  our  colleague  in  the 
House  and  your  amendment  shall  not  be  strick 
en  out." 

The  bill  was  passed  as  amended  by  myself. 
At  the  subsequent  session  of  Congress  when  the 
bill  making  the  grant  of  land  to  the  State  of 
Iowa  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  her  proposed 
railroads  was  called  up  in  the  House  for  con 
sideration,  Hon.  Thompson  Campbell,  successor 
of  Representative  Baker  from  the  Jo  Daviess 
district,  made  an  earnest  speech  in  opposition 
to  the  passage  of  the  bill.  Hon.  Bernhart  Henn, 
Representative  from  the  Fairfield  (Iowa)  dis 
trict,  in  reply  said  that  Mr.  Campbell's  attack 
was  a  very  unjust  one,  considering  the  earnest 
support  which  had  been  given  to  the  Illinois 
Central  Railway  bill  by  the  Iowa  delegation. 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  191 

Thereupon,  Mr.  Campbell  said  that  the  Iowa 
Senators  had  received  a  consideration  for  the 
support  they  had  given  to  the  Illinois  Central 
Bailroad  bill.153  And  our  bill  was  defeated. 

A  heated  newspaper  controversy  took  place 
between  my  colleague  and  myself  and  Mr. 
Campbell,  which  came  near  terminating  in  a 
duel  between  the  last  named  and  myself.  Judge 
Douglas  was  not  then  in  Washington  City,  and 
when  he  reached  the  city  Mr.  Campbell  gave 
Judge  Douglas  as  his  authority  for  saying  that  I 
had  received  the  consideration  referred  to  by 
the  Illinois  Senators  allowing  my  amendment, 
making  Dubuque  instead  of  Galena  the  north 
western  terminus  of  the  Illinois  Central  Bail- 
way. 

As  soon  as  I  learned  that  Judge  Douglas  was 
in  his  committee  room  in  the  Senate,  I  sent  word 
to  his  colleague  and  mine  to  meet  me  there  - 
which  they  did.  Then  I  said  to  Judge  Douglas 
in  a  threatening  tone:  "You  have  told  Mr. 
Campbell,  your  colleague,  of  the  House,  an  in 
famous  falsehood,  in  reference  to  your  action 
and  mine  in  relation  to  my  amendment  to  the 
I.  C.  E.  E.  bill.  Our  respective  colleagues,  now 
here,  know  that  you  not  only  made  no  objection 
to  my  amendment,  but  that  you  thanked  me  for 
making  it."  General  Shields  and  General 
Dodge,  both,  then  said  that  they  knew  of  no  ob 
jection  to  my  amendment,  when  Judge  Douglas 


192     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

replied :  *  *  I  know,  General,  that  I  did  not  make 
any  objection  to  your  amendment  but  freely 
and  gladly  accepted  it,  for  I  believed  then,  as  I 
do  now,  that  it  was  a  very  proper  one.  I  had 
no  idea  that  Mr.  Campbell,  or  any  one  else, 
would  oppose  it.  I  admit  that  I  did  misrepre 
sent  the  case  to  Mr.  Campbell,  thinking  that 
would  terminate  the  matter. ' ' 

In  1858,  when  Judge  Douglas  and  Mr.  Lin 
coln  stumped  the  State  of  Illinois  as  candidates 
for  the  United  States  Senate,  Judge  Douglas 
sent  a  letter  to  a  Galena  newspaper  to  be  read 
on  the  day  of  the  election  at  that  place,  all  which 
fully  appears  from  the  following  correspond 
ence  which  was  published  in  Chicago,  New 
York,  and  Washington  City  during  the  Christ 
mas  holidays  of  1858-1859. 

An  Article  Copied  from  the 

FORT  DODGE   SENTINEL 

Saturday,  January  15,  1859. 


Letter  from  Senator  Jones  to  Senator  Douglas.154 


The  following  editorial  and  letter  from  the  Galena 
Courier  of  the  2d  instant,  have  called  forth  the  let 
ter  below  from  Gen.  Jones,  U.  S.  Senator  from  Iowa. 
It  serves  up  the  Illinois  Senator  in  pointed  style, 
while  it  conclusively  refutes  his  charge  respecting 
Senator  Jones : 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  193 

[From  the  Galena  Courier,  November  2nd.] 
A   BASE    CALUMNY LETTEK    FKOM    MR.    DOUGLAS 

At  the  last  hour,  when  it  is  impossible  to  stop  the 
calumny,  the  enemies  of  Senator  Douglas  have  start 
ed  the  slander  that  in  his  action  in  securing  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  Grant,  he  wilfully  sacrificed 
the  interests  of  Galena.  Without  expecting  that  the 
refutation  will  go  as  far  as  the  falsehood,  neverthe 
less,  in  justice  to  Mr.  Douglas,  we  publish  the  follow 
ing  letter  from  him  on  this  very  subject.  It  answers 
the  charge  and  vindicates  him  from  all  blame. —  What 
were  the  circumstances  ? —  Gen.  Jones  had  it  in  his 
power  to  defeat  the  measure  which  has  made  Illinois 
what  she  is  to-day  —  one  of  the  first  States  in  the 
Union.  He  expressed  his  immovable  determination 
to  exercise  his  power,  and  thereby  sacrifice  not  only 
Galena  but  a  great  State;  not  only  one  town,  but  a 
hundred  towns  with  claims  equal  to  Galena,  and  for 
what?  For  what  would  he  have  kept  the  millions  of 
acres  in  Illinois,  now  dotted  all  over  with  farmhouses, 
school-houses,  churches,  and  peopled  by  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  honest  yeomanry,  in  a  condition  no  bet 
ter  than  that  of  a  barren  desert  —  for  what  would  he 
have  defeated  the  measure  that  has  raised  the  value 
of  Illinois  State  Stocks  from  16  cents  on  the  dollar  to 
103  and  105  —  a  condition  of  solvency  second  to  no 
State  in  the  Union  —  for  what  would  General  George 
Washington  Jones  (who  now  comes  in  as  a  witness 
against  Senator  Douglas,)  have  sacrificed  all  this 
greatness  and  prosperity?  Simply  to  get  the  road  to 
terminate  at  Dubuque !  Was  it  not  an  exalted,  states- 

13 


194     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

manlike  course? — Does  it  not  damn  this  man  Jones 
to  infamy  for  allowing  a  narrow-contracted  local  feel 
ing  to  imperil  a  mighty  measure  for  the  good  of  an 
empire?  He  had  it  in  his  power  to  kill  the  bill  that 
had  been  brought  to  the  very  point  of  success  by  the 
herculean  efforts  of  Douglas,  and  he  vowed  his  pur 
pose  to  do  it,  for  the  paltry  reason  that  it  provided 
that  the  terminus  should  be  at  Galena  instead  of  Du- 
buque.  We  ask  any  man,  had  he  occupied  the  position 
that  Douglas  did,  as  the  champion  of  the  measure,  if 
he  would  not  have  pursued  the  precise  course  that 
Douglas  did  —  yield  to  the  demand  of  the  incompat 
ible  Jones,  for  the  sake  of  securing  the  end  in  view? 
But  he  did  not  do  this  until  he  had  full  consultation 
with  all  the  members  of  both  Houses  of  Congress  from 
Illinois  Whigs  and  Democrats,  and  they  became  con 
vinced  that  there  was  no  other  alternative.  We  say 
he  acted  the  part  of  a  statesman,  and  we  honor  him 
for  rising  above  the  standard  of  such  puny  whipsters 
as  your  Jones,  and  your  Washburnes,  and  others  of 
that  ilk,  who  cannot  comprehend  a  policy  higher  than 
dollars  and  cents.  We  honor  the  man  who,  though 
compelled  to  yield  a  point,  did  so,  believing  that  the 
interests  of  a  great  State  were  paramount  to  those  of 
one  town. 

Suppose  Mr.  Douglas  had  insisted  on  keeping  the 
terminus  at  Galena,  and  Jones  had  defeated  the  bill, 
where  would  the  execrations  of  the  people  of  this 
State  have  fallen? —  We  opine  that  even  Galenians 
would  have  united  with  the  whole  State  in  denouncing 
him  as  having  acted  with  consummate  folly.  No  man 
could  stand  before  the  outraged  thousands  and  say 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  195 

that  such  a  policy  was  right.  Galena  is  said  to  have 
lost  by  it;  if  so,  hold  Jones  responsible,  and  not  the 
man  who  had  not  the  power  to  change  the  determina 
tion  of  the  Iowa  Congressional  delegation,  and  others, 
holding  the  balance  of  power.  Hold  the  local  Repre 
sentative,  Baker  —  who  was  not  a  Democrat,  respon 
sible  for  not  attending  to  his  duties ;  but  do  not  thrust 
the  responsibility  for  his  neglect  and  incompetency 
upon  Douglas,  who  was  working  for  the  best  interest 
of  every  town  in  the  State  of  Illinois. 

The  presentation  of  the  charge  by  the  republicans 
at  this  moment  is  infamous  and  cowardly.  They  could 
have  made  it  months  ago,  as  well  as  now;  but  they 
knew  it  was  unjust  and  could  be  refuted.  There  are 
some  other  matters  involved,  of  which  we  could  speak ; 
but  as  the  slander  has  been  produced  for  the  use  of 
a  day,  we  are  content  to  leave  the  vindication  of  Mr. 
Douglas  to  the  judgment  of  more  candid  men.  The 
following  is  his  letter,  written  from  Winchester,  in 
this  State,  in  August  last : 

Winchester,  Aug.  7,  1858. 
My  dear  Sir: — 

Your  letter  of  the  28th  of  July,  communicating  to 
me  the  fact  that  there  is  a  rumor  in  circulation  in 
Galena,  supposed  to  have  come  from  Gen.  Jones,  of 
Iowa,  that  pending  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Grant  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  an  arrange 
ment  was  made  between  him  and  me,  by  which  the 
interests  of  Galena  were  sacrificed  to  those  of  Du- 
buque  is  received.  I  have  a  distinct  recollection  of 
the  facts  of  the  case,  and  they  are  in  substance  as 
follows : —  The  bill,  as  drawn  and  introduced  into 


196     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Congress  by  myself,  provided  for  a  railroad  from  the 
southern  terminus  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River,  with  a  branch  to 
Chicago  and  another  to  Galena,  the  northwestern 
terminus  of  the  road.  General  Jones,  his  colleague, 
and  perhaps  some  others,  objected  to  Galena  as  a 
terminus  on  the  ground  that  the  road  would  not  con 
nect  with  the  Mississippi  River,  and  thus  a  hiatus 
would  be  created  between  the  east  and  west  side  of  the 
river.  I  endeavored  to  dissuade  them  from  their  ob 
jections,  and  to  induce  them  to  allow  the  bill  to  pass 
in  the  shape  I  had  introduced  it,  ~but  they  were  im 
movable,  AND  INSISTED  ON  DEFEATING  THE  BILL  UnleSS 

we  would  extend  the  road  to  Dubuque.  Upon  full 
consultation  with  my  colleagues  in  both  houses  of 
Congress,  it  was  determined  to  permit  the  alteration 
to  be  made,  under  the  belief  that  the  whole  bill  would 
be  defeated  unless  we  consented  to  the  change,  and 
we  thought  it  better  to  allow  the  change  to  be  made 
than  to  lose  the  bill  altogether,  although  we  did  not 
think  that  our  Iowa  friends  were  treating  us  kindly 
by  attempting  to  defeat  a  great  measure  for  our  State 
on  a  point  of  the  kind.  Under  these  circumstances,  I 
did  cheerfully  acquiesce  and  concur  in  the  determina 
tion  of  the  united  delegation  of  the  State,  to  agree 
to  the  change  by  which  the  road  should  be  extended 
to  Dubuque,  but  carefully  omitting  to  provide  at  what 
point  the  crossing  should  be,  whether  at  Dubuque,  at 
Tete  des  Morts,  or  at  any  intermediate  point.  I  will 
only  add  that  any  insinuation  or  intimation  on  the 
part  of  Gen.  Jones,  or  any  of  his  friends,  that  I  had 
any  collusion  with  him,  and  was  willing  to  sacrifice 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  197 

the  interests  of  Galena  to  those  of  Dubuque,  or  any 
other  point,  is  basely  and  infamously  false. 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  friend, 

S.  A.  DOUGLAS. 
H.  G.  CROUCH,  ESQ. 
Galena,  Illinois. 


GEN.  JONES'  LETTER  IX  REPLY  TO  THE  FOREGOING 

Dubuque,  Iowa,  Nov.  9,  '58. 
HON.  S.  A.  DOUGLAS, 

Chicago,  111. 

Sir: — Herewith  is  enclosed  your  letter  dated 
August  7th,  1858,  to  H.  G.  Crouch,  editor  of  the 
Galena,  Illinois,  Courier,  cut  from  that  paper  of  the 
2d  instant,  with  the  editorial  accompanying  the  same, 
headed  —  "A  Base  Calumny."  I  will  not  condescend 
to  notice  the  scurrilous  editorial,  predicated  upon  the 
many  wilful  [mis] representations  of  your  letter,  pre 
ferring  to  deal  with  you,  as  more  responsible  than 
your  instrument.  I  say  "wilful  misrepresentation," 
because  you  say  you  "have  a  distinct  recollection  of 
the  facts  in  the  case,"  and  because  the  journals  of  the 
Senate  prove  your  statements  to  be  wholly  destitute 
of  truth,  so  far  as  you  refer  to  my  colleague  (Gen. 
A.  C.  Dodge,)  myself  and  our  friends  as  having  ever 
expressed  or  entertained  the  idea,  as  you  say,  of  "de 
feating  the  bill  unless  the  road  was  extended  to  Du 
buque, "  though  wre  surely  had  as  much  right  so  to 
amend  it  as  our  Southern  friends  of  Kentucky,  Ten 
nessee  and  Alabama  had  to  suggest  and  require,  as  I 


198     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

think  they  did,  that  you  should  make  the  road  extend 
to  Mobile,  through  those  three  States. 

You  knew  well  that  neither  you  nor  your  colleague, 
Gen.  Shields,  ever  had  such  consultation,  either  be 
tween  yourselves  or  your  colleagues  of  the  House,  be 
fore  I  offered  my  amendment  to  make  the  road  ter 
minate  at  this  place,  instead  of  at  Galena.  You 
moreover  knew  equally  well  that  when  I  approached 
you  towards  the  close  of  the  debate  in  the  Senate  on 
the  bill  with  my  amendment,  and  asked  you  whether 
you  had  any  objections  to  my  offering  it,  stating  as  I 
did  that  it  was  merely  to  extend  your  road  to  Du- 
buque,  12  or  15  miles  further  West,  that  you  not  only 
freely  assented  thereto,  but  thanked  me  for  the  sug 
gestion,  and  that  I  immediately  thereafter,  in  your 
presence  and  hearing,  obtained  the  assent  of  your  col 
leagues  to  the  same  effect ; —  that  I  then  offered  it  and 
it  was  passed  without  a  dissenting  vote  or  objection 
from  any  quarter  whatever,  as  the  records  show. 

You  must  also  recollect  that  within  twenty-four 
hours  after  the  passage  of  the  bill  through  the  Senate, 
I  informed  you  that  I  had  had  a  conversation  with 
Col.  Baker,  the  then  Representative  from  Galena  in 
Congress,  and  that  he  declared  to  me  that  he  would 
not  allow  the  bill  to  pass  the  House  without  having  my 
amendment  stricken  from  it,  and  that  you  then  said 
that  you  cared  not  what  Baker  wished  —  that  it  was 
right  that  the  road  should  terminate  on  the  Missis 
sippi,  and  so  connect  with  our  proposed  railroad,  and 
that  you  would  so  state  to  your  colleagues,  Col.  Rich 
ardson,  Major  Harris,  and  others  of  the  House,  who 
would  take  charge  of  the  bill,  and  would  prevent 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  199 

Baker  from  making  any  such  amendment  in  that 
body. 

The  assertion  on  your  part  that  I  or  my  colleague, 
or  any  one  of  our  friends  had  determined  to  defeat 
your  bill  upon  the  ground  stated  by  you,  or  for  any 
other  reason  whatever  is  false,  and  its  publication  be 
ing  deferred  until  the  day  of  the  Illinois  election,  too 
late  to  be  contradicted  by  myself  or  others,  shows  that 
you  and  he  (your  Galena  organ)  who  acted  for  you, 
designed  to  mislead  the  Galena  people,  and  accom 
plish  your  selfish  purpose.  The  journals  and  the  de 
bates  of  the  Senate  show  that  Gen.  Dodge  and  I  heart 
ily  cooperated  with  you  and  your  colleague  in  every 
effort  and  every  vote  which  was  given  on  that  ques 
tion.  For  many  considerations  we  could  not  but  be 
deeply  interested  in  the  passage  of  that  bill. 

At  the  celebration  of  the  completion  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  to  Dunleith,  held  at  this  place  in 
July,  1855,  you  complimented  me,  in  exalted  terms,  in 
your  speech  on  that  occasion  as  the  person  who  pro 
cured  the  amendment,  making  Dubuque  the  terminus 
of  the  road,  and  although  you  knew  that  hundreds  of 
your  own  constituents  were  there  present,  you  did  not 
intimate  that  the  same  had  been  done  contrary  to 
your  wishes.  You  were  then  addressing  an  Iowa  audi 
ence  whom  you  wished  to  propitiate. 

Again,  sir,  when  you  last  visited  Dubuque,  (26th 
August,  1857,)  you  had  an  interview  with  J.  B.  Dorr, 
the  editor  of  the  Express  and  Herald  of  this  city, 
who  had,  ever  since  you  introduced  the  Kansas  and 
Nebraska  Bill  in  the  Senate,  been  your  bitter  op 
ponent,  and  the  opponent  of  that  measure.  The  next 


200     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

morning  an  editorial  article  appeared  in  that  paper, 
of  which,  the  following  is  an  extract : 

"But  Illinois  is  not  the  only  State  which  has  been 
benefited  by  the  policy  and  by  the  labors  of  Stephen 
A.  Douglas.  All  the  Western  States  are  indebted  to 
him  for  the  material  improvement  which  is  observable 
within  her  borders.  We  believe,  however,  that  our 
own  State,  Iowa,  stands  next  to  Illinois  in  her  obliga 
tions  to  Mr.  Douglas.  To  him  more  than  to  any  living 
man  is  owing  the  magnificent  railroad  system  planned 
out  for  her  —  the  system  which  is  destined  to  make 
her  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  important  States 
in  the  West.  Even  our  own  good  city  of  Dubuque 
owes,  in  a  great  measure,  her  present  importance  to 
the  labors  of  Mr.  Douglas.  She  knows  that  the  ex 
tension  of  the  north  western  branch  of  the  Illinois 
Central  to  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Mississippi  has 
greatly  added  to  her  prosperity,  and  the  land  grant 
roads  running  from  here  to  the  interior  will  still  add 
more  towards  making  her  the  commercial  metropolis 
of  the  region  North  and  West  of  Chicago. ' ' 

Two  numbers  of  the  paper  containing  the  above  ex 
tract  were  sent  to  you  the  next  day,  one  to  Galena 
and  the  other  to  Chicago,  with  the  expectation  that 
you  would  have  the  honesty  to  spurn  the  offer  thus 
made  you  by  your  newly  acquired  advocate  here,  to 
the  detriment  of  myself,  for  whom  you  then  professed 
friendship.  Instead  of  doing  so,  however,  the  same 
article  was  republished  in  the  Times,  your  organ  at 
Chicago,  and  that,  too,  within  a  very  few  days  after 
it  came  out  here,  and  whilst  you  were  still  at  Chicago, 
and  necessarily  within  your  knowledge,  if  not  at  your 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  201 

request.  Thus,  sir,  at  one  time  you  extolled  me  in 
unmeasured  terms  for  causing  Dubuque  to  be  made 
the  terminus  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  when 
addressing  an  Iowa  audience;  at  another,  you  allow 
Dorr,  your  ally  and  my  unscrupulous  opponent  here, 
to  filch  that  which  justly  belongs  to  me  and  appro 
priate  it  to  your  temporary  benefit.  And  now,  when 
arraigned  by  your  constituents  for  allowing  me  to 
make  an  amendment  to  your  bill,  to  the  disadvantage 
of  Galena,  (as  the  people  there  believe,)  you  resort  to 
the  dishonest  and  unworthy  pretext  of  saying  you 
were  compelled  either  to  allow  the  amendment  to  be 
made,  or  to  lose  the  bill  entirely,  because  "they  (my 
self  and  colleague)  were  immovable  and  insisted  on 
defeating  the  bill,"  &c.  Neither  Gen'l  Dodge,  his 
father  nor  myself,  ever  voted  against  you  or  Gen'l 
Shields  on  any  amendment  or  proposition  offered  to 
the  bill.  The  vote  was  generally  two  to  one  in  favor 
of  the  bill  and  it  finally  passed  by  yeas  and  nays  26 
to  14,  so  we  had  not,  as  you  allege,  the  power  to  defeat 
the  bill,  as  still  it  would  have  passed. 

My  amendment  was  offered  without  consultation 
with  any  one,  not  excepting  my  own  colleague,  or  any 
one  of  my  constituents.  I  am  proud  of  having  pro 
cured  such  a  benefit  for  the  State  which  has  trusted 
and  honored  me,  but  I  would  spurn  it  had  it  been 
obtained  "by  collusion"  with  yourself  or  any  one 
else  —  a  charge  never  within  my  knowledge  made  at 
Galena  or  elsewhere,  until  now  meanly  insinuated  by 
yourself. 

This,  sir,  is  the  third  time  that  you  have  made  "in 
famously  false"  accusations  against  me,  and  that  I 


202     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

have  been  compelled  to  fasten  the  lie  upon  you. 
Though  you  may,  at  the  sacrifice  of  Democratic  organ 
ization,  have  effected  a  triumph  in  your  own  State, 
as  you  say  "over  Executive  and  Congressional  dic 
tation,  ' '  I  can  but  look  with  contempt  upon  any  fame 
or  position  you  may  have  acquired  by  a  union  with 
"white  spirits  and  black,  blue  spirits  and  grey," 
Black  Republicans,  South  Americans,  disappointed 
office-seekers,  &c.,  as  I  do  upon  the  miserable  resort 
to  opprob[r]ious  epithets  connected  with  my  name, 
but  covered  with  a  contingency  which  gave  you  a  sure 
escape. 

GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES. 

P.  S.  This  was  prepared  at  the  time  and  place  that 
it  bears  date,  and  would  have  been  sent  to  you  had  I 
known  where  it  would  reach  you.  As  you  are  still 
canvassing  the  country,  I  address  it  to  you  at  your 
own  home,  and  publish  a  copy  of  the  same  in  order 
to  make  sure  of  it  being  seen  by  you, 

GEO.  W.  JONES. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  above  publication  ap 
peared  in  the  Chicago,  New  York,  and  Wash 
ington  papers,  whilst  in  conversation  with 
President  Buchanan  in  his  office  at  the  White 
House,  his  messenger  announced  "Mr.  Davis" 
at  his  door.  Mr.  Buchanan  replied:  "Tell  him 
I  am  engaged".  I  immediately  asked  the  mes 
senger:  "What  Mr.  Davis  is  it?"  His  answer 
was,  "Senator  Davis  of  Mississippi."  "Let 
him  come  in,  Mr.  Buchanan",  I  requested,  "I 
have  no  secrets  from  Mr.  Davis."  The  latter 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  9Q3 

was  ushered  in  and  seated  himself  by  us,  when 
Mr.  Buchanan  said  to  me:  "General,  I  hear  a 
good  deal  of  talk  about  a  letter  which  you  have 
written  to  Douglas  and  which  has  appeared  in 
the  newspapers."  Davis,  turning  to  me,  re 
marked:  "You  read  it  to  me  this  morning; 
have  you  not  got  it  with  you  now  ? ' '  On  reply 
ing  that  I  had,  Mr.  Buchanan  asked  me  to  read 
it  to  him,  which  I  did.  When  he  remarked: 
"Douglas  will  challenge  you  as  soon  as  he 
reaches  the  city."  "That  is  what  I  expect  and 
desire",  I  replied.  The  same  day,  as  I  walked 
through  the  upper  hall  at  the  Metropolitan 
Hotel,  I  met  Justice  Catron  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  saluted  him  in  passing,  when  he 
asked :  "  Is  not  this  Senator  Jones  ? "  I  replied : 
"Yes,  sir."  He  said:  "Stop,  I  want  to  speak 
to  you.  This  morning  when  my  colleagues  and 
I  met  in  the  Court  room,  reference  was  made  to 
your  letter  to  Douglas,  and  with  the  consent  of 
the  Chief  Justice,  it  was  read,  when  every  one 
of  us  declared  it  was  the  most  severe  arraign 
ment  ever  made  against  Judge  Douglas." 

Judge  Douglas  never  spoke  to  me  after  this. 

The  accompanying  letters  sustain  my  posi 
tion  in  this  matter : — 

Washington,  November  19,  1858. 
My  dear  Friend : — 

I  have  no  very  distinct  recollection  of  the  minute 
circumstances  attending  your  amendment  to  the  Illi- 


204     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

nois  Land  Grant  Bill  extending  the  Railroad  line  from 
Galena  to  Dubuque,  but  I  know  you  made  that  amend 
ment  with  my  consent  and  take  it  for  granted  with 
the  consent  of  Judge  Douglas  also.  I  do  not  remem 
ber  a  single  objection  made  to  your  amendment  in  the 
Senate  by  any  one  at  the  time  it  was  offered,  or  at 
any  other  time.  I  have  no  recollection  of  any  con 
sultation  between  my  colleagues  and  myself  in  refer 
ence  to  that  amendment  and  never  entertained  a 
doubt  but  the  bill  would  receive  the  hearty  support 
of  your  colleague,  General  Dodge,  and  yourself, 
whether  the  amendment  was  adopted  or  rejected; 
certainly  neither  of  you  ever  intimated  to  me  any 
intention  to  oppose  our  bill  under  any  circumstances. 
On  the  contrary,  I  regarded  you  both  as  our  best 
friends.  I  hope  this  reply  will  suffice  to  cover  all 
your  inquiries  and  therefore  hasten  to  send  it  to  you. 

Yours  sincerely, 

JAS.  SHIELDS. 

HONORABLE  GEORGE  W.  JONES 
Dubuque,  Iowa. 


Washington,  Jan.  10,  1859. 
Dear  Sir: — 

I  have  examined  with  much  care  your  letter  of  9th 
of  November,  1858,  to  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  as 
published  in  the  Chicago  Herald  of  December  16, 
1858.  This  letter  is  exactly  what  I  expected  in  view 
of  the  high  minded,  honorable  and  independent 
course  you  have  always  pursued. 

The  public  characters  of  public  men  belong  to  the 
country,  and  when  wilful  misrepresentations  are 


DOUGLAS  AND  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  205 

made  of  them,  it  is  a  duty  the  party  maligned  owes  to 
himself  and  his  fellow  citizens  to  place  the  matter 
right.  In  doing  this  I  much  prefer  such  good,  old 
English  terms  as  you  have  used  to  more  high  sounding 
expressions,  which  might  leave  doubts  on  the  minds 
of  the  readers  of  the  intentions  of  the  writer. 

Truly  yours, 

JOHN  WILSON, 

Late  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office. 
GEN.  GEORGE  W.  JONES,  U.  S.  Senate. 

The  Supreme  Judges  and  Messrs.  Buchanan 
and  Davis  were  not  on  very  good  terms  with 
Judge  Douglas;  hence,  probably,  their  favor 
able  opinion  of  my  letter. 


VIII 

THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD 

IN  1858,  whilst  in  the  Senate,  Lord  Osborne, 
then  President  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
called  to  see  me  in  my  lodgings  at  Miss  Man 
ning's  in  Washington.  I  was  glad  to  meet  him, 
and  I  told  him  I  recollected  spending  a  day  with 
him  with  the  Board  of  Directors,  of  which  I  was 
a  member,  at  Dubuque. 

"Senator,  I  have  come  to  ask  a  great  favor 
of  you. " 

"What  service  can  I  render  you?"  I  asked. 

"We  understand",  he  said,  "that  you  stand 
very  high  with  Mr.  Buchanan,  and  his  adminis 
tration." 

"Yes,  sir,  I  believe  they  are  all  friends  of 
mine;  /  know  Mr.  Buchanan  is." 

"We  have  been  trying  for  a  week  or  two  to 
induce  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  Mr.  Jacob 
Thompson,  to  certify  to  us  some  lands  in  Illi 
nois,  to  enable  us  to  continue  the  construction 
of  our  road,  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad." 

I  replied:  "Mr.  Osborne,  why  do  you  come  to 
me?  I  am  Senator  of  Iowa,  not  of  Illinois. 
Why  not  go  to  your  Senators,  Douglas  and 
Shields,  Col.  Richardson,155  Maj.  Harris,  and 

206 


THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD   207 

the  other  members  of  the  Illinois  delegation." 

"Oh",  he  said,  "we  have  all  of  them  assisting 
us,  but  you  stand  higher  with  the  Administra 
tion.  Senator,  you  certainly  want  the  road  ex 
tended  to  Dubuque,  don 't  you  ? ' ' 

I  said:  "Mr.  Osborne,  I  will  do  anything  in 
my  power  to  aid  you. ' ' 

He  said:  "Senator,  I  suppose  you  have  a 
'pass'  on  our  road?" 

"No,  sir,  I  have  not;  I  have  no  occasion  to 
use  one.  I  come  from  Dubuque  to  Chicago  in 
stages  and  from  there  by  railroad  or  steam 
boat." 

He  said:  "That  is  a  great  shame,  General, 
that  you  have  not  had  a  pass;  here  is  one  for 
yourself  and  family".  And  he  pulled  one  out 
of  his  pocket  all  ready  prepared. 

"Oh!"  I  said,  "Mr.  Osborne,  I  don't  want  a 
'  pass '.  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you  without  any. ' ' 

He  insisted  on  my  taking  it,  saying  that  some 
day  when  the  road  was  completed  to  Mobile  I 
might  want  to  take  a  trip  South  with  my  fami 
ly;  and  I  took  the  "pass". 

"Now",  said  I,  "Mr.  Osborne,  give  me  your 
petition  and  papers  and  I  '11  go  to  see  the  Presi 
dent  to-night  on  this  subject.  Come  back  in  the 
morning  after  you  have  had  your  breakfast, 
and  I  will  tell  you  how  I  have  succeeded  with 
the  President." 

He  left  me  shortly  after  this,  and  that  night 


208     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

I  went  to  see  the  President.  On  entering  I  said : 
"Mr.  President,  I  have  come  to  ask  an  extraor 
dinary  favor  of  you  in  relation  to  an  Illinois, 
not  an  Iowa,  matter. " 

"What  is  it,  General!" 

I  said:  "The  President  of  the  I.  C.  E.  E.  Co., 
Mr.  Osborne,  its  secretary  and  engineer,  and 
the  Illinois  delegation,  have  been  trying  for  a 
week  or  two  to  induce  Secretary  Thompson  to 
certify  more  of  the  lands  to  them  granted  by  the 
act  of  Congress  for  the  construction  of  the  I.  C. 
E.  E." 

"What  do  you  want  me  to  do,  General," 

' '  I  want  you  to  write  on  the  back  of  this,  their 
petition,  an  order  to  the  Secretary  to  grant 
their  prayer." 

He  said :  ' '  General,  have  you  been  to  see  Mr. 
Thompson  on  this  subject!" 

"No,  sir,  I  preferred  to  come  to  head-quar 
ters." 

He  took  up  his  pen,  and  directed  the  Secre 
tary  of  the  Treasury  [Interior]  to  grant  the 
petition. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Osborne  again  called 
on  me  and  asked:  "What  success,  General?" 

"Oh,  sir,  complete  success;  here  is  an  order 
from  the  President  to  Mr.  Thompson  to  grant 
the  prayer  of  the  petition.  I'll  go  with  you  now 
to  see  Mr.  Thompson  and  deliver  this  order 
from  the  President." 


THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD   209 

On  entering  Secretary  Thompson's  room  in 
the  Interior  Department,  I  handed  the  Presi 
dent's  order  to  him. 

He  said:  "General,  I'll  be  d d  if  I  don't 

believe  that  the  President  would  give  all  the 
lands  in  Illinois  to  this  d d  rascally  Com 
pany,  if  you  asked  him  to  do  it.  Now,  sir,  the 
Company  will  sell  those  lands,  get  all  the  mon 
ey,  keep  it,  and  never  build  any  Railroad." 

"Oh!"  said  I,  "Jake,  that  is  no  business  of 
yours." 

"Well",  he  said,  "I  know  it,  but  I  can't  help 
it." 

He  certified  the  lands  to  the  Company,  who 
went  on  immediately  to  continue  the  construc 
tion  of  the  road  from  a  few  miles  north  of 
Springfield  to  Dubuque. 

When  I  left  Dubuque  on  April  17,  1859,  to  go 
on  my  mission  to  Bogota,  as  Minister,  I  used 
the  pass  for  the  first  time  for  my  son  Charles 
and  myself  as  far  as  Pana,  on  the  way  to  Wash 
ington.  The  next  time  I  offered  that  pass  was 
after  my  return  from  Bogota,  when  a  large 
party  of  Democrats,  in  1862,  went  from  Du 
buque  to  Galena  to  celebrate  the  return  of 
Johnson  and  Sheean  from  Fort  Lafayette^ 
where  they  had  been  imprisoned  as  I  had  been. 
In  crossing  the  river  in  the  ferry-boat  with  the 
conductor  of  the  railroad,  we  were  very  hilari 
ous  and  joyful.  When  the  conductor,  Warren, 

14 


210     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

came  into  the  car  at  Dunleith,  now  East  Du- 
buque,  to  gather  the  tickets,  I  presented  my 
pass.  He  looked  at  me  rather  sourly  and  put 
my  pass  in  his  pocket  and  walked  off.  I  called 
out  that  he  had  forgotten  to  return  my  pass. 
"No!"  he  answered,  "I  take  it  up".  I  asked, 
"By  what  authority?"  He  answered,  "By  the 
authority  of  the  Board  of  Directors  at  Chi 
cago  ' ',  and  went  on.  I  was  at  that  moment  sit 
ting  by  the  side  of  Hon.  Ben.  M.  Samuels,  a 
distinguished  lawyer.  I  asked  him  if  the  con 
ductor  had  a  right  to  take  up  my  pass  in  that 
way.  He  asked  me  how  I  came  to  get  it.  I  told 
him  from  President  Osborne,  as  stated  above. 
Mr.  Samuels  said:  "No,  General,  he  has  no 
right  to  take  it  from  you,  for  Mr.  Osborne  would 
have  given  you  $50,000  for  the  service  you  ren 
dered  him  with  Mr.  Buchanan,  but  the  I.  C.  E. 
E.  Co.  have  a  great  many  distinguished  lawyers 
and  the  pass  would  cost  you  more  than  it  is 
worth  if  you  were  to  go  to  law  for  redress."  I 
replied:  "Perhaps  I  will  get  a  chance  at  them 
some  time  yet. ' ' 

A  very  short  time  after,  when  I  went  down 
to  my  office  one  day  in  the  Jones  block,  Mr. 
Deery  said  that  Col.  Allison,  one  of  the  attor 
neys  of  the  I.  C.  E.  E.,  had  been  there  several 
times  to  see  me.  Mr.  Deery  said:  "You  had 
better  go  now  and  see  him  at  his  office  in  the 
Free-Mason  block."  I  did  so.  Mr.  Crane,  then 


THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD   211 

partner  and  associate  attorney  with  Allison, 
said  that  Mr.  Allison  had  just  gone  down  town. 
I  asked:  "Do  you  know  what  he  wants  to  see 
me  for?" 

"He  wants  to  see  you  about  an  unoccupied 
lot  that  you  own  at  Dunleith. "  I  left  the  office 
and  walked  down  the  steps  saying  to  myself, 
"Now  is  my  chance."  I  had  seen  a  hundred  or 
more  men  at  work  on  my  lot  making  a  switch 
for  the  transfer  of  their  cars  to  their  large 
steamboats,  as  I  rode  up  the  river  en  route  to 
McGregor  in  company  with  Gen.  Hodgdon,  and 
I  remarked  to  him  that  "those  men  are  building 
their  road  on  my  lot;  I'll  make  them  pay  for 
it." 

As  I  returned  from  McGregor,  I  saw  Col. 
Allison  standing  at  the  stairway  leading  to  my 
office.  He  hailed  me  and  asked  if  he  could  see 
me  for  a  few  moments.  We  entered,  and  he  be 
gan  by  saying:  "General,  I  am  just  from  Chi 
cago.  Our  company,  the  Illinois  Central,  want 
to  get  an  unoccupied,  deserted  lot  of  yours  at 
Dunleith,  either  on  a  lease  or  by  purchase." 

I  replied:  "It  is  for  sale,  but  not  for  lease." 

"What  will  you  take  for  it!" 

I  replied:  "Well,  Colonel,  as  they  are  old 
friends  of  mine,  I'll  let  them  have  it  cheap. 
They  may  have  it  for  five  thousand  dollars 
cash." 

"Oh!"  said  he,  "I've  been  told  that  you  of- 


212     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

fered  the  lot  to  one  of  Merry's  firemen  for  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars. " 

"Yes,  Colonel",  said  I,  "but  he  is  a  poor 

hard-working  Irish  Democrat,  not  a  d d, 

rascally,  ungrateful  Eailroad  Company." 

He  laughed,  and  turned  to  leave,  saying:  "I 
see  you  don't  want  to  sell  it." 

"Yes,  I  do,  Colonel,  but  I  made  a  mistake. 
I'll  sell  it  to  your  company  for  five  thousand 
dollars  cash  and  a  pass  for  myself  and  family 
as  long  as  I  live." 

He  laughed  and  went  out  as  I  said:  "This  is 
Monday  morning.  Now,  if  you  don 't  take  it  by 
Saturday  next,  before  banking  hours,  the  price 
will  be  ten  thousand  and  a  pass." 

A  few  days  before  that  time,  my  agent  at 
Dunleith,  Mr.  Garnick,  told  me  he  had  good 
news  for  me.  He  said,  "Mr.  Clark,  engineer  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  is  building  a  switch  on  your 
lot  No.  1A,  and  I  told  him  that  he  was  tres 
passing  on  your  property." 

I  told  him  I  had  seen  them  at  work  on  it,  and 
it  was  unwise  in  him  to  warn  Mr.  Clark  (who 
afterwards  became  President  of  the  road) ;  that 
instead  of  making  him  pay  me  five  or  six  hun 
dred  for  that  lot,  I  would  not  let  them  have  it 
for  less  than  five  thousand. 

"Oh!"  he  said,  "General,  you'll  break  up  the 
sale.  They  '11  take  the  road  up,  and  you  will  not 
be  able  to  sell  it  at  all. " 


THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD   213 

My  nephew,  Mr.  Gregoire,  had  said  the  same 
thing. 

On  the  Friday  following  my  conversation 
with  Col.  Allison,  Mr.  Crane  came  into  my  office 
and  said, 

"General,  I  have  just  received  a  dispatch 
from  Col.  Allison  saying  that  we  will  take  that 
lot  of  yours  at  Dunleith ; ' '  and  he  handed  me  for 
execution  a  bond-for-deed  to  the  Illinois  Cen 
tral,  the  deed  to  be  given  if  my  title  to  the  lot 
should  be  proved  to  be  perfect,  he  to  go  to 
Galena  that  day  to  examine  the  records  there. 
The  bond  read  for  five  thousand  dollars  simply. 

I  said:  "Mr.  Crane,  five  thousand  dollars  is 
not  the  consideration.  It  is  five  thousand  dol 
lars  and  a  pass  for  myself  and  family  as  long  as 
I  live. " 

"Oh,  yes",  he  said,  "General,  I'll  see  that 
you  get  the  pass." 

"Yes",  I  said,  "and  so  will  I  see.  If  you 
will  interline  in  this  bond  five  thousand  dollars 
and  a  pass,  I'll  sign  the  bond,  and  not  without." 
He  did  so. 

He  said :  "  I  '11  go  to  Galena  now,  and  if  I  find 
your  title  perfect,  will  pay  you. ' ' 

I  put  my  hand  into  my  green  box  and  drew 
out  a  deed  for  that  identical  lot,  assigned  to  me 
upon  the  partition  of  the  Dunleith  property  be 
tween  the  heirs  of  Gregoire,  the  Illinois  Cen 
tral,  and  myself.  I  asked  Mr.  Crane  to  bring 
me  a  dozen  blank  deeds  from  Galena. 


214     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Mr.  Crane  returned  the  following  day,  and 
said:  "General,  your  title  to  the  lot  is  perfect, 
and  as  soon  as  you  make  me  the  deed  I'll  pay 
you  for  it. ' ' 

I  handed  him  my  deed  to  that  lot,  written  out 
in  one  of  the  deed-forms. 

"As  I  go  home,  I'll  take  the  deed  to  my  wife 
to  sign  before  Mr.  Deery,  a  Notary  Public.'7 

As  I  went  home  by  his  office,  he  handed  it  to 
me  with  the  consideration  of  five  thousand  dol 
lars  set  forth.  "Why!"  said  I,  "you  forgot  to 
put  in  the  consideration,  'pass,  etc.'  ". 

He  said:  "You  don't  want  that  in  the  deed, 
do  you?" 

"  Yes !"  I  said,  "I  do  when  I  deal  with  a  Rail 
road  Company.  I'll  take  every  precaution  nec 
essary." 

On  my  return  I  went  into  his  office  with  the 
deed  signed  and  acknowledged  by  myself  and 
my  wife.  He  then  took  me  down  into  Mr.  Far 
ley's  office  and  said:  "Mr.  Farley,  General 
Jones  has  made  the  deed  and  wants  the  money 
and  passes." 

Mr.  Hewitt,  whom  I  had  never  met,  was  sit 
ting  at  a  table,  writing.  He  turned  and  was 
introduced  to  me  by  Mr.  Farley.  He  asked  me 
if  a  check  on  Chicago  would  do  me  for  the 
money,  and  if  two  or  three  passes  would  do  me 
until  he  could  get  the  printed  ones  from  Chi 
cago.  He  told  Mr.  Farley  to  send  him  a  list  of 


THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILEOAD   215 

Gen.  Jones'  family  and  lie  would  send  a  pass 
for  all,  which  he  did  a  few  days  afterwards. 

The  next  time  I  met  Col.  Allison  he  asked: 
"You  received  your  money  and  passes?" 
"Yes",  I  replied,  "like  a  fool,  I  asked  only  five 
instead  of  ten  thousand  dollars!"  "Yes",  he 
replied,  "you  could  have  got  it." 


IX 

MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA 

ON  the  8th  day  of  March,  1859,  four  days  after 
the  expiration  of  my  second  term  as  Senator 
from  Iowa,  I  was  dining  at  the  Kirkwood 
House,  Washington,  D.  C.,  when  Senator  Nich 
olson  of  Tennessee  entered.  As  he  passed  me 
he  said :  t '  We  have  just  unanimously  confirmed 
your  nomination  as  Minister. "  I  called  him 
back  and  asked  him,  "  What  Minister  ? ' '  He  re 
plied,  " Minister  to  Bogota." 

After  dinner,  as  I  walked  home,  the  news 
boys  were  crying  their  papers,  saying:  "All 
about  the  nomination  of  Gen.  Jones  as  Min 
ister."  On  reaching  my  parlor,  I  found  my 
table  covered  with  notes  and  cards  of  congrat 
ulation  on  my  appointment.  I  ordered  my 
servant  to  call  a  carriage,  and  drove  to  the  resi 
dence  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  Gen.  Lewis 
Cass.  I  went  in  and  tendered  him  my  sincere 
thanks,  and  asked  him  how  I  came  to  be  ap 
pointed.  He  replied:  "When  we  went  into 
Cabinet  meeting  this  morning,  President  Bu 
chanan  read  to  us  a  message  which  he  had  sent 
to  the  Senate,  nominating  you  as  Minister  to 
Bogota,  New  Granada"  (now  the  United  States 

216 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  217 

of  Colombia).  Gen.  Cass  assured  me  that  every 
member  of  the  Cabinet  expressed  satisfaction 
at  my  appointment,  agreeing  that  I  was  in  every 
way  qualified,  particularly  because  of  my  "  be 
ing  a  Catholic  and  having  the  manners  of  a 
Frenchman",  and  that  I  would  soon  settle  our 
difficulties  with  that  country.  The  United 
States  was  then  without  a  Minister  to  Bogota. 
I  said  to  Gen.  Cass:  "I  am  very  grateful  for 
this  appointment,  sir,  but  I  have  come  to  de 
cline  it,  because  I  am  tired  of  public  life." 
Gen.  Cass  urged  me  to  reconsider  this  decision. 
But  as  I  persisted  in  my  refusal  he  said:  "Well, 
go  to  the  President  yourself,  and  inform  him 
that  you  will  not  accept ;  the  Senate  is  in  execu 
tive  session  now  but  will  soon  adjourn,  and  Mr. 
Buchanan  must  have  time  to  nominate  some  one 
else." 

I  drove  to  the  White  House.  On  entering  the 
President's  office,  I  found  a  gentleman  sitting 
with  his  back  to  me  talking  to  the  President. 
He  arose  as  I  entered,  and  I  recognized  Gen. 
Kemble  of  New  York,  with  whom  I  had  served 
in  Congress  when  Delegate  from  Michigan  Ter 
ritory,  and  who  was  a  warm  friend  of  mine. 
He  left  immediately  and  I  said  to  the  President : 
"I  have  come  to  thank  you,  sir,  as  I  most  sin 
cerely  do,  for  the  distinguished  honor  you  have 
conferred  on  me  and  to  say  that  I  must  respect 
fully  decline  the  same."  I  told  Mr.  Buchanan 


218     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

that  I  had  been  obliged  to  leave  the  South,  in 
1827,  on  account  of  my  health ;  that  I  had  filled 
a  great  many  offices  and  wished  now  to  retire  to 
private  life.  Mr.  Buchanan  said : ' '  Oh,  yes,  that 
is  always  the  way  with  you  young  men.  You 
do  not  know  what  you  want.  You  think  you  are 
tired  of  public  life,  but  you  are  not.  When  Gen. 
Jackson  came  to  the  Presidency,  March  4,  1829, 
he  tendered  me  the  appointment  of  Secretary  of 
State,  which  I  declined,  believing,  as  you  do 
now,  that  I  was  tired  of  public  life.  The  office 
of  Secretary  of  State  at  that  time  was  consid 
ered  the  stepping  stone  to  the  Presidency.  I 
went  home  to  Lancaster,  and  in  a  short  time 
became  dissatisfied  with  the  quiet  life  and  glad 
ly  accepted  the  office  of  Minister  to  Russia. 
When  you  get  back  to  Dubuque  you  will  regret 
declining  this  appointment. ' '  I  told  him  that  I 
could  not  live  in  the  South  and  that  I  had 
enough  to  live  on  the  remainder  of  my  life,  and 
as  my  wife  was  of  French  descent,  I  was  de 
sirous  of  going  to  France.  Mr.  Buchanan  said : 
66  There  is  no  vacancy  there  or  I  would  gladly 
appoint  you  to  that  Mission. "  I  replied:  "I  do 
not  mean  that  I  want  to  go  as  your  Minister  to 
France,  but  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  people 
of  South  America  are  behind  the  age  in  civil 
ization.  ' ' 

Mr.  Cobb,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and 
several  other  gentlemen  were  present,  and  over- 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  219 

hearing  the  last  remark,  Mr.  Cobb  said:  "Gen 
eral,  our  friend  Bowlin,  while  he  was  Minister 
to  Bogota,  wrote  home  that  he  was  delighted 
with  the  society  there ;  that  it  was  most  charm 
ing.  "  (My  residence  for  three  years  there  as 
Minister  verified  the  truth  of  this  statement). 
Mr.  Buchanan  then  asked  me  to  reserve  my  de 
cision  until  the  Senate  adjourned,  and  to  call 
and  see  him  in  the  meantime,  and  he  would 
convince  me  that  I  was  mistaken  in  not  accept 
ing  the  appointment.  I  sent  a  formal  letter  to 
Secretary  Cass  declining  the  appointment  per 
emptorily,  and  went  home  to  Dubuque.  Before 
leaving  Washington,  however,  several  physi 
cians,  friends  of  mine,  told  me  they  thought  I 
was  mistaken  in  my  fear  of  the  climate  of  Bo 
gota  ;  and  on  my  return  to  Dubuque  my  friends 
and  family  expressed  their  regret  that  I  had  de 
clined  the  Mission.  Drs.  Finley,  Horr,  and 
Sprague  agreed  with  the  physicians  at  Wash 
ington. 

About  the  15th  of  April,  shortly  after  my  re 
turn  to  Dubuque,  Bishop  Smith  of  the  Catholic 
Church  called  at  my  house,  and  during  the  con 
versation  he  said  to  me:  "General,  I  have  a 
favor  to  ask  of  you."  I  replied:  "You  can  ask 
no  favors,  dear  Bishop,  that  I  will  not  readily 
grant. "  "  Well ' ',  he  said,  * i  I  want  you  to  write 
to  Mr.  Buchanan  and  accept  the  Mission  to  Bo 
gota."  I  replied:  "I  Lave  no  doubt,  Bishop, 


220     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

that  the  Mission  has  been  filled  by  this  time." 
He  turned  to  my  daughter  and  said :  ' l  You  see, 
Maria,  your  father  wants  to  back  out  of  his 
promise."  "Oh,  no,  Bishop",  I  said,  "I  do  not 
want  to  do  that,  but  I  am  almost  sure  the  place 
is  filled."  (I  knew  that  Gouverneur  Kemble 
and  others  were  trying  to  get  the  appointment 
for  their  friends.)  "Well",  continued  Bishop 
Smith,  "you  write  a  note  of  acceptance  to  Sec 
retary  Cass  and  I  will  have  Dennis  [his  coach 
man]  mail  it  as  we  drive  down  town."  I  told 
the  Bishop  that  the  proper  etiquette  was  to 
write  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  so  ad 
dressed  a  note  to  Secretary  Cass,  saying  that  if 
the  President  had  not  already  filled  the  Mission 
to  Bogota  and  was  still  willing  that  I  should 
have  it,  that  in  consideration  of  the  wishes  of 
my  friends  I  would  yet  accept  it.156  By  return 
mail  I  received  my  commission  with  instruc 
tions  to  go  on  to  Washington  immediately. 

I  left  home  on  the  17th  of  April  and  reached 
Washington  on  the  20th.  I  called  immediately 
on  Secretary  of  State  Cass  and  he  asked  me  if  I 
had  received  my  instructions.  I  replied:  "No, 
sir,  I  do  not  know  anything  about  instructions." 
He  then  inquired  if  I  had  seen  Dr.  Mackie.  I 
said  I  did  not  know  the  gentleman;  and  Gen. 
Cass  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Doctor,  who  came 
in  a  few  moments  later,  and  after  introducing 
us,  the  Secretary  asked:  "Doctor,  have  you 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  221 

Gen.  Jones'  instructions  drawn  up?"  The 
Doctor  answered:  "I  have  not  heard  anything 
about  them."  Gen.  Cass  then  said:  "Doctor, 
draw  them  up  immediately,  for  we  want  him  to 
go  as  soon  as  possible."  Dr.  Mackie  left  the 
room  on  these  orders,  and  the  Secretary,  turn 
ing  to  me,  said:  "Now,  General,  cultivate  the 
acquaintance  of  Dr.  Mackie.  He  knows  more 
about  the  duties  of  your  office  than  Appleton 
[Assistant  Secretary],  myself,  or  the  priest  of 
all  the  world;  and  while  I  think  of  it,  instruct 
your  family  to  send  all  your  mail  through  the 
State  Department,  as  then  it  will  go  out  with 
our  dispatches  to  Bogota  without  postage  and 
free  from  inspection." 

I  then  went  to  Dr.  Mackie 's  room  and  found 
the  Doctor  already  engaged  in  writing  my  in 
structions  ;  and  I  asked  him  what  my  duties 
would  be.  He  placed  before  me  two  or  three 
large  volumes,  saying:  "General,  read  these 
backwards  and  you  will  soon  learn  what  your 
duties  are."  I  remained  with  him  until  after 
office  hours  and  then  asked  him  to  go  to  my 
hotel  and  dine  with  me.  We  became  very  warm 
friends  during  my  stay  in  Washington,  prior 
to  my  departure  for  Bogota.  I  paid  no  atten 
tion  to  Mr.  Hunter,  the  chief  clerk  over  Dr. 
Mackie,  who  later,  through  jealousy,  caused  my 
arrest  for  writing  a  letter  to  Jefferson  Davis. 

The  same  evening  I  called  to  pay  my  respects 


222     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

to  President  Buchanan  and  Miss  Lane,  his 
niece.  Mr.  Buchanan  laughed  heartily  on  see 
ing  me,  saying:  "I  knew  you  would  come  to 
your  senses  by  and  by,  so  I  kept  the  office  open 
for  you,  though  I  have  had  many  other  appli 
cants  for  it. ' '  And,  later,  he  said  to  me :  ' '  Gen 
eral,  bring  your  instructions  to  me  when  you 
get  them.  I  want  to  see  what  they  are."  I 
took  them  to  him  a  few  clays  later,  and,  at  his 
request,  read  them  to  him.  When  I  had  fin 
ished,  he  exclaimed :  "What  a  talented  man  that 
Appleton  is !  How  beautifully  these  instruc 
tions  are  drawn  up!"  I  said:  "Why  do  you 
say  Appleton?  No  one  but  Dr.  Mackie  and  my 
self  has  seen  these  instructions."  The  Presi 
dent  asked:  "Who  is  Dr.  Mackie?  I  do  not 
know  any  such  man."  I  replied:  "He  is  the 
chief  of  the  South  American  Bureau  in  the 
State  Department,  and  was  appointed  to  that 
position  by  our  old  friend  Clayton,  when  he  was 
Secretary  of  State  under  Gen.  Taylor." 

I  took  Dr.  Mackie  the  next  day  and  introduced 
him  to  the  President.  Dr.  Mackie  has  ever 
since  been  my  warm  friend  and  correspondent 
and  is  one  of  the  most  splendid  gentlemen  I 
ever  knew,  a  man  of  extraordinary  mental  abil 
ity  and  acquirements  and  most  gentle  disposi 
tion.  My  attentions  to  Dr.  Mackie  during  my 
stay  for  instructions  gave  offense  to  Mr.  Hunt 
er,  chief  clerk  of  the  State  Department. 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  223 

About  April  29  I  left  Washington  for  New 
York  on  my  way  to  Bogota.  I  had  with  me  my 
son  Charles,  who  accompanied  me  as  Secretary, 
and  a  man  servant  who  had  been  with  Gen. 
Herran,  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  [from] 
Bogota.  When  in  New  York  I  called  upon 
Bishop  Hughes  with  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  my  friend  Father  Donaghoe  of  Dubuque, 
spiritual  director  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  the 
Bishop  receiving  my  son  and  myself  most  cor 
dially.  When  leaving  him,  the  Bishop  called  me 
to  one  side,  saying:  " General,  Father  Donag 
hoe  says  you  want  to  be  baptized. "  I  answered 
that  I  did.  He  asked  me  where  I  was  stopping, 
and  when  I  replied,  "At  the  St.  Nicholas  Ho 
tel  ' ',  lie  said,  l  i  That  is  near  my  Cathedral ;  call 
there  tomorrow  morning  at  eight  o'clock  and  I 
will  baptize  you."  I  did  go,  and  he  presented 
me  with  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Archbishop 
Herran  of  Bogota.  Father  McCloskey,  who 
was  afterwards  made  first  Cardinal  of  the 
United  States,  was  my  Godfather.  I  took  with 
me,  also,  letters  of  introduction  from  the  Pri 
mate  of  Baltimore,  Archbishop  Kenrick,  Bishop 
Timon  of  Buffalo,  and  others.  I  had  a  delight 
ful  trip  from  New  York  City  to  Aspinwall  by 
the  mail  line  steamship.  At  Aspinwall  I  was 
furnished  with  a  passage  in  the  United  States 
man-of-war  by  order  of  Secretary  Toucey  of 
the  United  States  Navy  Department  to  Cartha- 
gena  in  New  Granada. 


224     GEOKGE  WALLACE  JONES 

At  Carthagena  I  was  received  with  "brasos 
abiertos"  [open  arms]  by  our  accomplished 
consul,  Mathieu,  who  escorted  me  to  the  Magda- 
lena  River,  where  we  took  passage  on  the  steam 
boat  up  the  river  to  Honda.  From  Honda,  we 
took  mules  to  cross  the  mountains,  and  reached 
Bogota  on  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day.  We 
were  met  by  a  number  of  distinguished  officials 
and  others,  and  escorted  into  the  city.  The  sec 
ond  or  third  day  after  reaching  there,  calls  were 
made  upon  me  by  President  Marianna  Ospina, 
Secretary  Pardo  (Secretary  of  Foreign  Rela 
tions),  and  other  distinguished  citizens  and 
officials.  It  was  Sunday  —  feast  days  and  Sun 
days  are  observed  in  that  country  by  making 
calls,  giving  dinner  parties,  tertullias  (dancing 
parties),  etc.  In  the  course  of  conversation,  I 
asked  Seiior  Santa  Maria,  who  spoke  very 
fluently  the  French  language:  "What  is  the 
meaning  of  your  name,  ' Santa  Maria '?"  "La 
Mere  de  Dieu",  was  his  response.  He  was  a 
very  accomplished  gentleman,  one  of  the  most 
popular,  wealthy,  and  influential  citizens  of  the 
Republic.  I  asked  him  where  I  could  get  a 
teacher  to  instruct  me  in  the  Spanish  language. 
He  replied:  "Come  to  see  my  daughters;  they 
speak  French  and  Spanish  equally  well  and  will 
take  pleasure  in  instructing  you,  as  all  the 
ladies  will ;  but  do  not  go  to  the  gentlemen. ' ' 

I  found  the  ladies  of  Bogota  among  the  most 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  225 

charming,  beautiful,  and  accomplished  in  the 
world,  fair  complexioned,  and  modest  man 
nered.  I  never  saw  a  gentleman  with  a  young 
lady  without  a  chaperone.  When  visiting,  the 
ladies  sat  on  one  side  of  the  room  and  the  gen 
tlemen  in  a  semi-circle  around  them. 

I  followed  the  advice  of  Senor  Santa  Maria, 
visiting  his  daughters  and  other  ladies  fre 
quently,  with  the  determination  of  acquiring  a 
knowledge  of  the  Spanish  language  —  an  easy 
matter  for  any  one  acquainted  with  French  and 
Latin  —  and  I  soon  preferred  speaking  Spanish 
to  English  or  French  during  my  residence 
there. 

My  son  Charles,  who  was  my  Private  Secre 
tary,  the  moment  I  told  him  in  Dubuque  that  I 
would  take  him  with  me,  went  to  the  bookstore 
and  bought  a  Spanish  dictionary,  grammar, 
exercises,  etc.,  and  began  to  study  the  language ; 
but  he  never  acquired  facility  in  speaking  it  as 
I  did. 

The  day  before  my  official  public  reception  I 
received  a  note  from  Secretary  Pardo  in  reply 
to  one  from  myself,  stating  that  President  Os- 
pina  would  receive  me  whenever  it  was  con 
venient  for  me.  I,  however,  deferred  presenting 
my  credentials  formally  because  I  was  officially 
informed  that  the  treaty  between  the  United 
States  and  New  Granada  had  not  been  ratified 
by  the  Congress  of  that  country;  and  I  sent  my 

15 


226     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

son  back  as  the  bearer  of  my  dispatches  to  my 
Government  with  the  information  that  the 
treaty  was  not  yet  ratified  and  to  learn  what  I 
should  do  in  that  emergency,  as  President  Bu 
chanan  had  informed  me  a  day  or  two  before  I 
left  Washington  for  Bogota  that  he  would  not 
allow  me  to  go  at  all  if  he  thought  the  treaty 
was  not  ratified  by  the  Congress  of  New  Gran 
ada,  as  it  had  been  by  our  Congress. 

I  accompanied  my  son,  who  bore  my  dis 
patches,  taking  with  us  my  servant  and  the  flag 
of  my  country,  the  Eepublic  being  then  in  the 
midst  of  civil  war,  as  far  as  Honda,  where  I 
found  Gen.  Tomas  C.  D.  Mosquera,  Commander 
of  the  invading  army,  at  the  head  of  his  forces, 
and  where  I  was  received  with  great  pomp  and 
ceremony  by  an  officer  of  Gen.  Mosquera 's 
army  and  conducted  to  his  headquarters.  He 
gave  me  a  splendid  dinner  and  told  me  he  would 
in  a  short  time  take  possession  of  the  seat  of 
Government  of  Bogota  and  expel  Ospina  and 
his  party  from  the  capital.  Gen.  Mosquera  fur 
nished  my  son  with  an  escort  to  convey  him  to 
Carthagena  on  the  coast,  by  bungo,157  where  he 
took  the  regular  mail  steamer  for  Aspinwall, 
which  he  reached  a  few  hours  after  the  Amer 
ican  Steamer  had  left  for  New  York.  He  was 
obliged  to  remain  some  two  weeks  for  the  next 
steamer,  being  unwilling  to  avail  himself  of  the 
invitation  extended  to  us  by  the  Panama  Eail- 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  227 

road  Company  to  accept  their  hospitality.  He 
was  as  modest  and  unassuming  as  he  was  brave 
and  intelligent.  He  always  took  the  highest 
honors  at  his  school,  at  the  Western  Military 
Institute,  at  Blue  Lick  Springs,  Kentucky, 
where  Mr.  Blaine  was  one  of  his  teachers.  He 
went  to  a  poor  hotel,  the  only  one  there,  where 
he  contracted  the  Chagres  fever,  from  which  he 
never  recovered. 

In  a  very  few  days,  however,  after  my  re 
turn  from  seeing  my  son  off  for  the  United 
States,  I  learned  that  the  treaty  was  ratified  by 
the  Congress  of  New  Granada.  I  then  notified 
Secretary  Pardo  that  I  would  present  my  cre 
dentials.  He  sent  his  reply  to  my  note  by  a 
military  officer  at  the  head  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
soldiers,  who  presented  the  same  in  great  mili 
tary  form.  Not  knowing  a  word  of  Spanish,  I 
told  my  servant  Juan  to  say  to  the  gentlemen 
that  I  would  return  an  answer  next  day. 

During  the  civil  war,  which  was  raging  then, 
a  gentleman  named  Arangurin,  whose  acquaint 
ance  I  made  in  Bogota,  asked  me  for  a  passport 
to  enable  him  to  return  to  his  home  at  Mara- 
cajbo,  Venezuela.  I  declined  to  give  him  the 
passport  as  he  was  not  known  to  me  to  be  a  citi 
zen  of  the  United  States.  He,  however,  brought 
our  mutual  friends,  Messrs.  Nelson  and  Charles 
Bonito,  and  Mr.  Michealson,  charge  d'affaires, 
who  informed  me  that  thev  had  seen  Mr.  Aran- 


228     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

gnrin's  certificate  of  naturalization  as  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States.  Two  or  three  days  inter 
vened  before  I  gave  him  the  passport  and  I 
mentioned  to  Mrs.  Mosquera  and  Mrs.  Gen. 
Herran,  her  daughter  (whose  husbands,  strange 
to  say,  were  commanders  of  the  opposing  arm 
ies),  the  circumstances  concerning  the  passport. 
Mrs.  Herran  sent  a  messenger  to  her  father  in 
forming  him  of  my  intention  of  giving  Aran- 
gurin  a  passport.  When  I  gave  it  to  him,  I  in 
structed  him  to  go  directly  to  the  headquarters 
of  Gen.  Mosquera 's  army,  where  he  would  be 
well  received.  Instead,  however,  of  following 
my  advice,  he  left  the  main  road  to  Honda  and 
travelled  by  an  unfrequented  route  expressly 
to  avoid  Gen.  Mosquera 's  army. 

Gen.  Mosquera  having  learned  through  his 
daughter,  of  the  day  that  he,  Arangurin,  would 
leave  Bogota,  sent  scouts  out  to  the  passes  in 
the  mountains ;  and  in  one  of  those  passes  Aran 
gurin  was  arrested  with  his  servant  and  taken 
prisoner  to  Gen.  Mosquera 's  headquarters. 
Gen.  Mosquera  sent  word  through  his  wife  and 
daughter,  Mrs.  Gen.  Herran,  that  he  had  Aran 
gurin  a  prisoner,  and  would  have  him  shot  the 
next  day,  and  if  I  had  anything  to  say  about  it, 
he  would  be  glad  to  see  me  at  his  headquarters. 
I  immediately  wrote  a  dispatch  and  went  with  it 
to  Gen.  Mosquera 's  headquarters,  earnestly 
protesting  against  the  execution  of  Arangurin, 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  229 

as  he  bore  my  passport  and  I  had  good  reason 
to  believe  that  he  was  a  naturalized  citizen  of 
the  United  States.  Gen.  Mosquera  exhibited  to 
me  a  contract  which  Arangurin  had  made  with 
the  Government  at  Bogota,  to  furnish  them  with 
five  thousand  stand  of  arms  to  carry  on  the  civil 
war  against  him,  but  that  in  consequence  of  his 
personal  regard  for  me  and  the  admiration  he 
had  for  my  Government,  he  would  not  execute 
Arangurin,  but  would  send  him  as  a  prisoner  to 
be  kept  at  the  Fort  of  Carthagena  until  the  war 
was  over,  which  he  said  would  not  be  long  now, 
his  army  being  in  sight  of  Bogota. 

Gen.  Mosquera  gave  my  friend,  Mr.  Gooding, 
who  accompanied  me,  and  myself  a  splendid 
dinner.  He  told  me  he  had  received  cartecas 
(small  notes  or  letters)  frequently,  informing 
him  that  if  he  dared  to  enter  Bogota  with  his 
invading  army,  as  he  intended  to  do,  his  wife 
and  daughter,  Mrs.  Herran,  and  his  four  lovely 
grandchildren  would  all  be  executed.  He  add 
ed:  "My  wife  and  daughter  at  Bogota  have 
received  similar  communications".  And  he  re 
quested  that  if  I  could  render  them  any  service 
and  protection  he  wished  that  I  would  do  so, 
but  that  he  was  determined  to  enter  Bogota 
with  his  army.  I  was  aware  of  the  feeling 
which  existed  on  the  part  of  the  conservatives 
against  Gen.  Mosquera  and  his  family  and  had 
suggested  to  Gen.  Herran  that  he  would  allow 


230     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

his  family  to  come  to  my  legation  for  safety. 
He,  however,  laughed  at  the  idea  of  the  enemy's 
daring  to  harm  his  residence  and  family.  A 
day  or  two  after  this,  General  Herran  came  to 
my  quarters  and  said  he  had,  through  his  sister 
and  brother,  been  credibly  informed  that  if 
Gen.  Mosquera  should  be  successful  in  his  at 
tempt  to  take  Bogota,  the  lives  of  his  family 
would  be  endangered,  and  he  asked  me  to  give 
up  my  legation  at  the  hotel  and  move  it  to  his 
residence  —  a  very  splendid  one  —  for  the  pro 
tection  of  his  family.  I  immediately  sent  my 
servant  for  a  number  of  peons  (servants)  who 
moved  my  furniture,  etc.,  to  Gen.  Herran 's  resi 
dence.  I  informed  Secretary  Pardo  of  the 
change  of  my  location  in  the  city  and  the  estab 
lishment  of  my  legation  at  Gen.  Herran 's.  A 
few  nights  after  my  removal  thither,  a  man,  a 
rancher o  (a  roving  soldier),  came  to  see  Mrs. 
Herran,  claiming  to  be  the  bearer  of  a  note  from 
her  father  to  her  mother,  Mrs.  Mosquera.  Mrs. 
Herran,  however,  refused  to  see  him  and  he 
left.  After  the  war  was  over  I  learned  that  the 
threats  to  assassinate  the  family  would  surely 
have  been  carried  out  but  for  the  protection 
rendered  by  my  legation. 

I  witnessed  the  last  battle  between  Gen.  Her 
ran  's  (the  conservative)  army,  and  that  of  Gen. 
Mosquera,  who  entered  Bogota  triumphantly, 
re-organized  the  Government,  and  changed  the 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  231 

name  of  the  country  from  New  Granada  to 
United  States  of  Colombia.  While  I  remained 
at  Bogota  I  had  frequent  appeals  made  to  me 
by  Mosquera 's  opponents,  and  I  freely  and 
gladly  extended  my  protection,  and  never  un 
successfully,  as  Gen.  Mosquera  was  a  warm 
friend  of  mine  as  long  as  I  remained  in  Bogota. 
I  used  my  potential  influence  with  Gen.  Mos 
quera  to  protect  his  opponents  from  insults  and 
outrages  on  the  part  of  his  army. 

Upon  my  intercession  for  Arangurin,  Gen. 
Mosquera  told  me  his  daughter  had  informed 
him  that  President  Ospina  and  a  party  of  gen 
tlemen  would  leave  Bogota  in  a  few  days  for 
Antioquia,  to  raise  an  army  to  defend  Bogota, 
and  he  said:  "I'll  take  them  all  prisoners." 
This  he  did  a  few  days  later.  Like  Arangurin, 
they  had  taken  unfrequented  passes  through 
the  mountains.  He  dismissed  all  except  Ospina 
and  his  aspiring  brother,  the  richest  man  in  the 
Eepublic,  and  Bartholome  Calva,  then  Secre 
tary  of  Foreign  Eelations,  an  octoroon  and  a 
most  talented  gentleman.  The  day  following 
their  arrest,  the  French  and  British  Ministers 
at  Bogota  came  to  my  legation  late  in  the  night 
and  informed  me  that  news  had  been  received 
that  Gen.  Mosquera  had  these  men  prisoners 
and  had  issued  a  decree  condemning  them  to 
death  the  next  day. 

They  requested  me  to  accompany  them  (the 


232     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Foreign  Ministers  at  Bogota)  to  Gen.  Mos 
quera 's  headquarters.  I  willingly  agreed  to  do 
so.  We  left  early  next  morning  for  Gen.  Mos 
quera 's  headquarters,  and  were  courteously  re 
ceived  by  the  General,  who  with  his  Cabinet 
heard  our  appeals  in  behalf  of  his  prisoners. 
Baron  Gouri,  Minister  Plenipotentiary  from 
the  French  Government,  the  oldest  Minister, 
Mr.  Griffith,  the  British  charge  d'affaires,  I,  the 
American  Minister,  and  the  Peruvian  Minister 
each  made  an  address  to  General  Mosquera,  and 
his  Cabinet,  as  he  was  pleased  to  call  it.  He 
withdrew  and  his  son  Major  Mosquera  sent  for 
me  to  see  his  father  there  in  a  private  room, 
and  he  said :  * '  General,  I  have  the  greatest  ad 
miration  for  your  Government  and  the  highest 
esteem  for  you,  and  on  your  account  only  I  will 
not  execute  these  prisoners,  but  will  send  them 
as  prisoners  of  war  to  Carthagena  and  keep 
them  there  until  the  war  is  over  and  I  reform 
the  Government. ' '  And  he  did  so. 

On  the  4th  day  of  November,  1861,  my  suc 
cessor  in  office,  Judge  Allan  A.  Burton  of  Ken 
tucky,  reached  Bogota,  when  I  extended  every 
possible  courtesy  to  him  and  tendered  him  my 
services  as  the  bearer  of  his  dispatches  to  our 
Government  at  Washington.  He  accepted  my 
services  but  said  he  would  not  avail  himself  of 
them  without  first  administering  to  me  an  oath 
called  the  iron-clad  oath,  to  support  the  Con- 


MINISTER  TO  BOGOTA  233 

stitution  and  Government  of  the  United  States, 
which  I  freely  took  and  subscribed  my  name  to, 
and  I  bore  his  dispatches  to  Secretary  Seward, 
delivering-  them  at  Washington,  December  5, 
1861,  on  my  route  home. 

On  my  way  home  at  Carthagena,  the  British 
Consul  there  informed  me  that  President  Os- 
pina,  his  brother,  and  Secretary  Calva  were  in 
irons  in  the  Fort.  I  went  to  the  Fort  to  see  them 
and  found  them  with  shackles  on  wrists  and 
ankles.  I  told  them  I  would  send  a  dispatch  to 
Gen.  Mosquera  to  intercede  with  him  in  their 
behalf;  that  they  might  at  least  receive  better 
treatment.  My  letter  to  Gen.  Mosquera  was  im 
mediately  sent  to  him  at  Bogota  and  he  sent  an 
order  to  Carthagena  to  have  the  irons  taken  off 
of  his  prisoners  and  instructed  that  they  should 
have  better  treatment.  A  short  time  thereafter 
those  three  distingnished  men  made  their  es 
cape  from  prison,  supposedly  by  bribing  the 
guards,  and  I  have  never  heard  of  them  since. 

Gen.  Mosquera,  on  receiving  a  dispatch  from 
Secretary  Seward  announcing  my  recall  as 
Minister,  said  it  was  the  most  extraordinary 
dispatch  he  had  ever  read,  because  of  the  kind 
expression  toward  me  and  the  high  compliments 
paid  me  by  Secretary  Seward,  adding :  * '  This  is 
the  third  time  I  have  been  President  of  the  Re 
public  and  I  do  not  think  I  ever  received  so 


234     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

complimentary  a  dispatch  concerning  a  Minis 
ter  before." 

I  told  him  that  Secretary  Seward  and  I  were 
warm  friends  in  the  United  States,  that  he  had 
served  under  me  as  member  of  the  Committee 
on  Pensions,  of  which  I  had  been  Chairman,  and 
that  I  was  well  aware  of  his  great  personal 
regard  for  me. 


X 

MY  MEETING  WITH  ABKAHAM  LINCOLN 

I  CALLED  at  the  State  Department  for  the  sec 
ond  time  to  see  Secretary  Seward,  when  his 
messenger  told  me  Mr.  Seward  had  just  been 
sent  for  by  the  President  and  intended  return 
ing  in  a  few  moments,  adding:  "He  left  word 
for  you  to  walk  into  his  rooms. ' '  I  said :  '  '  No, 
I  will  go  into  Dr.  Mackie's  room"  -  which  I  did. 
A  few  seconds  after  I  entered,  Dr.  Mackie,  who 
was  seated  by  the  window,  said:  "Look  here, 
General,  here  comes  an  army  into  the  grounds 
of  the  State  Department;  let  us  go  down  and 
see  what  it  means."  We  went,  and  found  the 
Secretary's  son  Fred  apologizing  for  the  ab 
sence  of  his  father,  who  arrived  at  that  moment 
from  the  White  House.  He  addressed  the  Col 
onel  and  his  regiment  as  his  old  friends  and 
neighbors  of  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.  He  finished 
by  saying:  "I  will  now  take  you  to  the  White 
House  and  introduce  you  to  the  President. ' '  He 
stepped  to  one  side  and  allowed  the  Colonel  to 
give  his  orders  to  the  regiment.  He  saw  me 
standing  on  the  opposite  side,  and  pulling  off 
his  hat,  exclaimed,  "There  is  my  dear  old 
friend ! ' '  and  warmly  shook  my  hand.  He  said : 

235 


236     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

" General,  have  you  seen  the  President  yet?" 
I  replied:  "No,  sir,  I  do  not  know  him." 
"Come  with  me",  he  said,  "and  I  will  intro 
duce  you  to  him  at  the  same  time  as  I  do  this 
regiment  from  my  own  County."  He  marched 
off  with  the  splendid  band  of  music,  followed 
by  the  Colonel  and  his  regiment.  On  reaching 
the  North  front  of  the  President's  house,  a  hol 
low  square  was  formed  by  the  regiment,  en 
closing  the  President  and  his  Cabinet.  Mr. 
Seward  made  a  beautiful  address  to  the  regi 
ment,  introducing  them  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States. 

The  President  replied :  '  *  Gentlemen,  you  may 
infer  from  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Seward  has 
introduced  me  that  I  am  going  to  make  a  speech, 
but  this  is  not  time  for  speech-making.  I  hope 
you  will  soon  return  from  the  South  with  a  re 
stored  Union.  Good  bye,  God  bless  you." 
Then  he  turned  to  leave  them,  when  Mr.  Seward 
took  him  by  the  arm  and  said:  "Mr.  President, 
let  me  introduce  you  to  my  old  friend  Ex-Sena 
tor  Jones,  just  returning  Minister  from  Bogota, 
South  America."  The  President  shook  my 
hand  very  cordially  and  said :  "  I  am  very  glad 
to  meet  you  again. ' '  I  replied :  "  I  do  not  think, 
Mr.  President,  that  I  ever  saw  you  before." 
"I  recollect",  he  said,  "forming  a  short  but 
pleasant  acquaintance  with  you  about  fifteen 
years  ago  at  Springfield,  Illinois."  "I  do  not 


MEETING  WITH  LINCOLN  237 

recollect  it,  Mr.  President,"  "Well",  lie  said, 
"do  not  come  to  see  me  to-night,  as  Mrs.  Lin 
coln  is  going  to  a  wedding,  but  come  tomorrow 
evening  at  eight  o'clock  and  I  will  remind  you 
of  how  we  became  acquainted.  Please  excuse 
Mr.  Seward  and  me  now,  we  have  a  matter  of 
great  importance  in  Cabinet  meeting."  Mr. 
Seward  said:  "General,  call  again  at  my  office 
tomorrow  morning  at  ten  o  'clock. ' '  We  parted, 
and  as  I  walked  away,  I  said  to  myself :  "It  is 
strange  that  a  great  man  like  the  President 
knows  me  and  I  do  not  know  him. ' ' 

I  was  never  at  Springfield  but  once  in  my  life. 
Next  morning  I  called  again  to  see  Secretary 
Seward  at  ten  o  'clock.  He  had  not  yet  reached 
his  office.  I  asked  where  his  residence  was,  and 
was  told  at  the  Club  House.  I  met  him  at  its 
gate  walking  arm  in  arm  with  Ex-Senator 
Green  of  Missouri.  We  shook  hands  and  he 
said :  i '  General,  did  you  get  my  note  this  morn 
ing?"  "No,  sir,  I  did  not."  "Are  you  not 
stopping  at  Willard's?"  he  asked.  "I  sent  you 
a  note  there  this  morning. ' '  I  replied :  "  I  left 
the  hotel  early,  to  breakfast  with  my  niece." 
"Well,  General,  it  is  proper  that  I  should  give 
you  a  diplomatic  dinner ;  I  want  you  to  come  and 
dine  at  six  o'clock  next  Monday."  I  thanked 
him  and  said  that  I  would  do  so.  He  said: 
"Green,  can't  you  come  also?"  And  the  latter 
accepted.  I  said :  * '  Green,  call  for  me  Monday 


238     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

evening  and  I  will  ride  up  with  you."  On 
reaching  Mr.  Seward's  I  was  introduced  to  a 
number  of  Diplomats  and  their  ladies.  I  had 
the  post  of  honor  at  the  left  of  Secretary  Sew- 
ard,  taking  his  daughter-in-law,  Mrs.  Fred'k 
Seward,  in  to  dinner.  He  informed  the  com 
pany  that  he  and  I  had  been  Senators  and  he  a 
member  of  the  Committee  on  Pensions  of  which 
I  was  Chairman. 

That  night  I  went  to  the  President's  house. 
On  entering  his  room,  I  saw  him  sitting  in  his 
arm  chair.  He  introduced  me  to  Messrs.  Fran 
cis  P.  Blair,  Senior  and  Junior,  and  Montgom 
ery  Blair,  his  Post  Master  General.  I  said:  "I 
have  seen  these  gentlemen  to-day;  they  are  old 
acquaintances  of  mine/'  He  then  introduced 
me  to  Mr.  George  B.  Prentice,  editor  of  the 
Louisville  Courier-Enquirer  [Courier- Journal]. 
I  said:  "Another  old  acquaintance,  Mr.  Presi 
dent.  ' '  Mr.  Lincoln  threw  his  right  leg  over  the 
arm  of  his  chair,  and  asked:  "You  do  not  recol 
lect  me,  General?"  "No,  sir,  I  do  not." 
"Why",  he  continued,  "are  you  not  the  same 
George  W.  Jones  who  once  petitioned  the  Leg 
islature  of  Illinois  to  pass  an  act  authorizing 
you  to  establish  a  ferry  across  the  Mississippi 
from  Dubuque,  Iowa,  to  ' Jordan's  stormy 
banks '  in  Illinois  1 "  "I  am  that  man,  sir ' ',  said 
I.  ' '  Why ' ',  he  said, ' l  General,  you  were  brought 
to  my  house  one  night  by  our  old  friend,  Judge 


MEETING  WITH  LINCOLN  239 

Pope,  of  the  United  States  District  Court  for 
Illinois,  the  father  of  this  'lying  Gen.  John 
Pope'  now  of  our  army."  "Yes,  Mr.  Presi 
dent,  I  got  that  John  Pope  into  West  Point  Mil 
itary  Academy  in  1838,  when  I  was  Delegate  in 
Congress  from  Wisconsin  Territory."  Mr. 
Lincoln  said  then:  "Judge  Pope  said  to  me, 
6 Lincoln,  I  want  you  to  pass  George's  bill  grant 
ing  him  a  ferry  privilege  at  Dubuque,  I'll  be 

d d  if  you  don't  pass  his  bill  tomorrow 

morning,  you  shall  never  come  to  the  Legisla 
ture  again." 

Mr.  Lincoln  continuing  said:  "General,  you 
presented  me  with  your  bill,  prepared  by  your 
self,  which  I  introduced  next  morning  after  con 
siderable  debate,  which  ensued  upon  my  motion 
to  suspend  the  rules  of  the  House  and  take  it 
up."  "I  recollect,  Mr.  President,  that  a  very 
tall  gentleman  presented  my  bill,  and  after  a 
very  complimentary  address  about  my  father, 
John  Rice  Jones,  as  the  oldest  lawyer  in  Illinois, 
and  myself  as  a  Delegate  in  Congress,  who  had 
worked  for  Illinois,  my  bill  was  passed  and  sent 
to  the  Senate  where  it  was  managed  by  my  old 
friend,  Governor  Reynolds,  whom  I  suppose 
you  recollect?  He  had  the  same  difficulty  there 
that  you  had  in  the  House." 

"Oh,  yes",  he  replied,  "everybody  knows  the 
'old  Ranger'.  By  the  way,  General,  you  had 
another  friend  then  who  was  working  for  your 


240     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

bill  that  morning  in  the  House  —  Judge  Thomas 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  from  our  State."  "Yes, 
sir,  Jesse  and  I  were  college  mates  at  Transyl 
vania  University,  Lexington,  Kentucky." 
"Oh,  General,  were  you  educated  at  Lexing 
ton!"  "Yes,  sir,  I  was  graduated  there  in 
1825."  "Why,  sir,  you  must  know  something 
about  my  wife's  family?"  "What  was  her 
name,  sir?"  "Todd",  he  replied.  "What!  a 
merchant  of  Cheapside  ? "  "  Yes ' ',  he  answered. 
"Well,  sir",  said  I,  "I  knew  your  wife  before 
you  did."  "Well",  he  said,  "you  must  not 
leave  this  house  without  going  to  see  my  wife, 
and  especially  as  you  were  both  once  Lexing- 
tonians. ' '  Turning  to  Prentice,  he  said : i  i  Pren 
tice,  the  General  speaking  of  Thomas  and 
Reynolds,  reminds  me  of  an  anecdote."  And 
we  all  laughed,  of  course. 

"On  one  occasion,  as  McDougall  of  Califor 
nia,  now  Senator  from  that  State,  then  a  young 
lawyer  of  Springfield,  some  thirty  years  ago, 
came  walking  up  to  where  Thomas  and  Rey 
nolds  stood  talking,  Thomas  said  to  Reynolds, 
'  Governor,  let  me  introduce  you  to  my  friend, 
McDougall  of  Chicago,  and  a  brother  lawyer.' 
They  talked  a  few  moments  and  McDougall 
passed  on.  Reynolds  asked,  '  Thomas,  is  this 
the  same  McDougall  that  Captain  Shakespeare 
spoke  of  in  one  of  his  works  I '  Thomas  smil 
ingly  replied,  'I  don't  recollect  that  Captain 


MEETING  WITH  LINCOLN  241 

Shakespeare,  as  you  call  him,  speaks  of  any 
McDougall  at  all.'  'Oh,  yes,  Judge,  don't  you 
recollect  where  the  Captain  in  one  of  his  works 

says:  Come  on,  McDougall,  and  d d  be  him 

who  first  cries  hold!  enough!'  We  all 
laughed  most  heartily. 

At  that  moment  a  servant  entered  saying: 
"Mr.  President,  a  lady  wishes  to  see  you."  A 
lady  in  black  was  shown  in,  and  the  President 
rose  to  greet  her.  We  heard  him  say :  * '  Madam, 
that  reminds  me  of  an  anecdote,  but  I  will  at 
tend  to  your  case",  and  the  lady  left  the  room. 
When  the  President  returned  to  his  chair  I 
asked  him:  "How  can  I  now  get  to  see  your 
wife?"  He  took  up  a  pen  and  wrote  on  his 
card,  called  a  messenger  to  him  and  said: 
"Take  this  card  to  Mrs.  Lincoln."  To  me  he 
said:  "Follow  the  messenger,  General."  I  was 
met  in  the  ladies'  parlor  at  the  door  by  Mrs. 
Lincoln,  who  was  entertaining  George  Ban 
croft,  the  historian,  and  Chevalier  Hulsemann, 
but  we  conversed  at  length  of  Lexington  and 
our  many  mutual  friends. 

Some  days  afterwards  I  again  called  on  Sec 
retary  Seward,  who  asked  me  if  I  had  received 
my  money.  "Yes",  I  said,  "all  that  they  will 
pay  me.  I  have  come  to  take  leave  of  you,  I  am 
about  to  leave  for  home."  He  asked:  "What 
way  do  you  go?"  "I  go  to-night  to  the  New 
York  Hotel."  He  reached  a  bottle  from  under 

16 


242     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

his  table  and  said:  " Let's  take  a  farewell 
drink. "  Next  morning  I  arrived  at  the  New 
York  Hotel  with  my  niece,  whom  I  was  taking 
home  with  me. 

It  was  very  cold  in  New  York  at  that  time, 
being  December  20th.  I  arrived  at  the  New 
York  Hotel  about  3  A.  M.  On  registering  our 
names  at  the  office,  I  noticed  a  man  who  stood 
close  beside  me,  and  looked  over  my  shoulder. 
After  I  had  entered  my  name,  he  touched  me  on 
the  shoulder  and  said:  "General,  I  would  like 
to  speak  a  word  with  you. ' '  Drawing  me  aside 
he  said  in  a  low  voice :  i  i  General,  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  but  I  have  an  order  to  arrest  you. ' '  "What 
for!"  I  asked.  "I  don't  know."  "By  what 
authority",  I  asked.  "By  authority  of  Col. 
Kennedy,  Chief  Detective  of  New  York  City." 
I  asked:  "Will  you  allow  me  to  place  my  niece 
in  charge  of  some  of  my  friends  here  —  Senator 
and  Mrs.  Gwin?"  He  replied:  "Certainly,  go 
where  you  please." 

We  were  conducted  by  a  servant  to  Senator 
Gwin  's  parlor  door.  I  left  my  niece  in  there  and 
knocked  at  the  Senator's  bed-room  door.  He 
immediately  called  out:  "Who  is  there?"  I 
answered:  "Gen.  Jones."  He  said:  "Can't 
you  find  your  rooms ! "  ( He  had  engaged  rooms 
for  me).  I  said :  "Get  up,  Senator,  I  have  been 
placed  under  arrest,  and  I  want  to  speak  to  you, 
and  desire  you  and  your  wife  to  take  charge  of 


MEETING  WITH  LINCOLN  243 

my  niece. "  The  Senator  then  said:  "Go  into 
the  parlor  and  I  will  be  there  in  a  moment." 
He  dressed  hastily  and  came  into  the  parlor  and 
asked  in  astonishment:  "You  are  arrested?" 
My  niece  gave  a  cry  of  alarm  on  hearing  such 
news.  Mrs.  Gwin  entered  hurriedly  and  threw 
her  arms  around  my  neck  and  exclaimed :  ' '  Oh, 
dear  General,  you  are  going  to  Fort  Lafayette, 
from  which  my  poor  husband  has  just  been  re 
leased."  I  pulled  out  my  purse,  intending  to 
leave  it  with  my  niece,  but  Dr.  Gwin  said: 
"Keep  it,  General,  you  will  need  it."  I  then 
asked  Detective  Farley  when  I  went  down  and 
we  drove  to  Col.  Kennedy's  office:  "Where  is 
Col.  Kennedy! ' '  He  answered :  *  *  He  will  not  be 
here  until  9  or  10  in  the  morning."  "Well", 
said  I,  "I  am  tired.  Is  there  no  place  for  me  to 
lie  down  here?"  "Oh,  yes,  General",  said  he, 
"follow  me  and  I  will  give  you  a  good  bed." 
He  conducted  me  to  a  room  in  the  basement, 
and  turning  on  a  gaslight,  I  saw  the  windows 
with  the  iron  gratings,  and  as  he  left  me,  he 
closed  and  locked  a  heavy  wooden  door  and  then 
an  iron  one.  At  about  9  he  awoke  me,  saying: 
' '  Col.  Kennedy  will  soon  arrive. ' '  I  remarked : 
"I  wish  I  had  my  trunk  here,  I  would  like  to  put 
on  a  clean  shirt."  He  assured  me  that  both  my 
trunks  were  then  in  the  office,  and  added:  "You 
will  probably  like  to  have  breakfast  before  Col. 
Kennedy  arrives?"  I  said:  "Yes".  He  con- 


244     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

ducted  me  to  a  fine  restaurant  and  I  enjoyed  a 
good  breakfast,  after  which  we  returned  to  Col. 
Kennedy's  office,  where  we  found  the  Colonel, 
and  I  was  introduced.  He  said:  " General,  I 
am  glad  to  see  you!"  "Why  do  I  see  you!"  I 
asked.  Offering  me  a  chair  beside  him,  he  then 
placed  before  me  a  House's  telegram  which 
read: 

Washington,  D.  C.    Dec.  19,  1861. 
The  Hon.  George  W.  Jones,  late  Minister  to  Bogota, 
leaves  here  for  New  York  Hotel.    Arrest  him  and  send 
him  to  Fort  Lafayette.  W.  H.  SEWARD. 

"That  is  all  I  know  about  it,  General",  said 
Col.  Kennedy.  I  then  asked :  * ;  Colonel,  will  you 
allow  me  to  write  a  note  to  my  wife?"  "Cer 
tainly,  General,  write  as  many  letters  as  you 
please  and  go  wherever  you  may  wish  to  go ;  all 
I  want  you  to  do  is  to  get  into  Fort  Lafayette 
before  dark."  We  took  a  carriage  and  went  to 
call  on  several  of  my  old  friends,  Hon.  Truman 
Smith,  Ex-Senator,  next,  to  the  legation  of  Gen. 
Herran,  Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United 
States  from  Bogota.  I  gave  Mrs.  Herran  a 
draft  from  the  Sub-Treasury  of  the  United 
States  at  New  York  for  three  or  four  thousand 
dollars.  She  begged  me  not  to  go  to  Fort  La 
fayette,  but  to  stay  in  the  legation  where  I 
would  be  free  from  arrest;  but  I  left  her  and 
went  to  the  legation  of  Secretary  Parraga,  and 
from  there  to  Fort  Hamilton,  opposite  and  close 


MEETING  WITH  LINCOLN  245 

to  Fort  Lafayette,  where  I  was  introduced  to 
Col.  Burke,  and  where  we  had  a  pleasant  con 
versation  until  an  officer  appeared  at  the  door 
saying:  " Colonel,  all  is  ready ".  Col.  Burke 
said  to  me:  "General,  this  officer  will  conduct 
you  to  Fort  Lafayette."  I  stepped  out  of  the 
door,  and  was  immediately  surrounded  by  ten 
soldiers  with  fixed  bayonets,  marched  to  a  skiff 
and  taken  over  to  Fort  Lafayette,  where  I  was 
placed  under  an  officer  in  charge.  My  watch 
and  chain,  my  studs  and  other  jewelry  were 
taken  from  me,  and  I  was  conducted  to  a  "  case 
mate  ' '  and  left  to  myself.  Next  morning  Lieut. 
Wood,  Commander  of  Fort  Lafayette,  trans 
ferred  me  from  the  * '  case-mate ' ',  in  which  I  had 
spent  the  night,  to  another  and  more  comfort 
able  one.  Early  the  next  evening  the  Lieuten 
ant  came  in  with  a  soldier,  who  asked :  "Is  there 
a  fellow  here  named  Hon.  G.  W.  Jones?"  I 
answered :  "  I  am  he. ' '  He  said  in  a  gruff  voice : 
"Here's  a  note  for  you"-  -which  I  opened  and 
read.  It  was  from  Mrs.  Geo.  A.  Gelston  of  Ft. 
Hamilton,  a  most  benevolent  lady  whose  sympa 
thies  were  always  with  those  in  trouble. 

The  note  was  accompanied  by  a  bushel-basket 
of  the  daintiest  provisions  and  a  2-gallon  jug  of 
best  coffee  from  Mrs.  George  A.  Gelston;  and 
every  night  that  I  remained  in  the  Fort  I  re 
ceived  something  of  this  kind  from  her. 

I  was  discharged  from  Ft.  Lafayette,  Febru- 


246     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

ary  22,  1862,  by  order  of  Secretary  Stanton  of 
the  War  Department,  by  direction  of  President 
Lincoln.  Secretary  Stanton  afterwards  told  me 
he  never  saw  any  reason  for  my  arrest  and  im 
prisonment.  I  went  immediately  to  the  resi 
dence  of  Mrs.  Gelston,  a  5-story  brown  stone 
building.  I  was  ushered  into  a  splendid  parlor, 
and  in  a  few  moments  a  tall  lady  and  her  daugh 
ter  entered.  I  approached,  asking:  "You  are 
Mrs.  Gelston,  madam?"  She  answered:  "Yes, 
sir  ".  And  I  threw  myself  on  my  knees,  saying : 
"Madam,  allow  me  to  kiss  the  hem  of  your  gar 
ment.  ' '  I  asked  why  she  had  been  so  kind  to  me 
and  she  replied:  "Your  friend,  Miss  Lucy 
Dodge,  of  New  York  City,  being  an  old  friend 
of  mine,  came  down  to  see  me  and  told  me  of  the 
warm  friendship  existing  between  her  father's 
family  and  yours.  She  begged  me  to  pay  you 
every  attention. ' ' 

That  summer  I  received  a  letter  from  an  at 
torney,  E.  E.  Meade,  asking  if  I  was  not  going 
to  bring  suit  for  damages  against  Secretary 
Seward  for  my  arrest  and  imprisonment,  and 
said  he  would  with  pleasure  act  as  my  attorney 
without  charge.  I  did  bring  suit,  and  he,  at  my 
suggestion,  engaged  to  assist  him,  Hon.  Charles 
O'Connor  (the  eminent  counsel  of  Jefferson 
Davis)  and  Hon.  John  McKeon,  Ex-United 
States  District  Attorney  for  the  Eastern  Dis 
trict  of  New  York.  The  death  of  Mr.  Seward 


MEETING  WITH  LINCOLN  247 

interrupted  my  suit.  His  attorney  had  offered 
mine  $5,000  to  withdraw  my  suit,  and  he  de 
clined  because  I  had  sued  for  $50,000.  Thus  the 
case  ended. 


Ill 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


249 


PEESONAL  EECOLLECTIONS 
SISTEE  HARRIET'S  WEDDING  ISM 

IT  was  at  this  time,  October  26,  1814,  that  my 
sister  Harriet,  aged  sixteen  years,  was  married 
to  Mr.  Thomas  Brady  of  the  firm  of  ' '  McKnight 
&  Brady",  the  leading  dry-goods  firm  in  St. 
Louis.  The  groom-elect,  coming  to  claim  his 
bride,  rode  on  horseback,  as  did  his  servant, 
who  followed  with  his  master's  large  port 
manteau,  and  leading  a  horse  for  the  bride. 
Many  friends  came  to  the  wedding-feast. 

The  following  day  the  guests,  including  bride 
and  groom,  repaired  to  Potosi,  about  two  and  a 
half  miles  distant,  to  attend  the  wedding  of  Mr. 
Thomas  McKnight  (brother  of  Mr.  Brady's 
partner)  to  Miss  Fanny  Scott,  sister  of  Hons. 
Andrew  and  John  Scott ;  and  after  that  the  two 
bridal  parties  departed,  a  gay  cavalcade,  to  St. 
Louis,  their  future  home. 


MY  FIRST  MINING  EFFORT  :  AGED  ELEVEN  YEARS 

IN  the  fall  or  winter  of  1815  I  was  crying  on 
the  stile  at  New  Diggings,  Missouri,  when  old 
Uncle  Jake  asked  me:  "What's  the  matter, 
Master  George?"  "I  don't  know  why  Pa 

251 


252     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

moved  out  here,  where  there  are  no  boys  to  play 
with  me,  or  any  fun. ' '  The  good  old  negro  said : 
"Come  with  me  and  I'll  show  you  where  you 
can  get  some  mineral  and  buy  yourself  some 
marbles,  tops,  etc.,  to  amuse  you. "  He  got  me  a 
"pick-a-wee"  and  a  small  wooden  shovel,  then 
took  me  out  into  an  old  deserted  mineral  hole 
and  showed  me  how  to  get  out  of  the  drift  little 
float  mineral. 

That  day  or  the  next,  I  got  out  300  or  400  Ibs. 
of  mineral  and  took  my  brother  Myers  out  to 
show  it  to  him.  He  gave  me  25  or  50  cts.,  went 
into  partnership  with  me,  and  we  got  upwards 
of  $1,000  worth  of  mineral,  bought  ponies,  etc., 
for  ourselves,  and  were  thus  made  very  happy. 
I  was  then  a  little  over  eleven  years  of  age. 

The  next  year  I  built  a  complete  saw  mill  on  a 
small  scale,  which  I  put  into  the  tail  race  below 
my  brothers  John  and  Augustus'  large  mill, 
where  it  operated  beautifully,  and  was  visited 
by  nearly  all  persons  who  visited  Mine  a  Breton, 
(now  Potosi),  Missouri.  I  was  a  natural  me 
chanic  or  machinist,  as  well  as  a  natural  musi 
cian  and  dancer.  .  .  . 

That  was  my  first  venture  in  lead  mining.  I 
still  own  the  Karrick  Lode  adjoining  the  City  of 
Dubuque,  into  buying  one-third  of  which  I  was 
actually  forced  by  my  old  friend  Capt.  Geo.  0. 
Karrick  in  1857.  In  the  fall  of  1835,  when  at 
Ste.  Genevieve  on  my  way  to  Congress  as  Dele- 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          253 

gate,  I  met  Capt,  Geo.  0.  Karrick  as  he  came 
driving  an  ox  team  hitched  to  a  wagon  loaded 
with  lead,  which  he  was  bringing  from  the 
Mines.  He  was  dressed  in  a  buckskin  suit  and 
covered  with  dust.  He  was  the  son  of  a  former 
rich  Baltimore  merchant  and  he  himself  had 
been  educated  at  the  West  Point  Military  Acad 
emy.  I  asked  him :  "How  much  pay  do  you  get 
for  hauling  lead  and  why  do  you  pursue  such  a 
life?"  He  said  he  got  eight  dollars  a  load  and 
that  it  was  that  or  starve.  I  had  known  him  for 
many  years  at  Potosi,  Missouri,  and  was 
grieved  to  see  him  so  reduced.  I  suggested  to 
him  to  give  up  that  hard  work  and  to  come  up  to 
Wisconsin  to  live,  saying:  "I  am  engaged  in 
mining,  smelting  and  farming,  and  am  now  on 
my  way  to  Congress  as  Delegate  elected  from 
the  Territory  of  Michigan,  and  can  surely  get 
you  better  business  than  this  if  you  will  come  up 
to  my  country."  He  replied  that  he  had  not 
money  enough  to  take  himself  and  family  to  St. 
Louis.  But  he  said :  "Good  bye,  George,  I  must 
be  off,  as  I  have  to  go  into  the  country  where  my 
oxen  can  get  grass."  And  he  showed  me  his 
buffalo  robe  on  which  he  slept  o '  nights,  and  we 
parted.  The  next  time  I  met  with  my  dear 
friend  Capt.  Karrick  was  at  Jones'  Hotel  in 
Philadelphia,  Pa,,  on  the  night  of  the  4th  of 
July,  1836,  when  he  and  his  brothers,  Frank  and 
Joseph,  called  to  see  me,  the  newspapers  having 


254     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

announced  my  arrival  there.  We  renewed  the 
conversation  we  had  had  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  and 
he  expressed  his  regrets  that  he  had  not  accept 
ed  my  offer  to  move  up  to  this  country.  I  said : 
"It  is  not  too  late;  come  up  now."  In  the  fall 
he  arrived  with  all  his  family  on  a  steamboat 
from  St.  Louis.  I  soon  put  the  ferry  (Jordan's) 
under  his  control,  and  he  commenced  keeping 
tavern  there.  In  February  I  came  with  my  wife 
and  niece,  Miss  Julia  St.  Vrain,  to  his  house, 
two  and  a  half  miles  from  East  Dubuque.  Mrs. 
Karrick  and  her  children,  Henrietta  and  two 
others,  were  delighted  to  see  us.  ...  Her 
husband  was  then  on  the  road  carrying  the  mail 
between  Dubuque  and  Galena. 

When  the  boys  returned  from  Dubuque  they 
brought  with  them  Gen.  Henry  A.  Wiltse  and 
Major  James  A.  Eeid,  then  clerks  in  the  Sur 
veyor  General's  office  at  Dubuque,  and  Davis  S. 
Wilson,  who  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
cross  the  river  and  invite  my  wife,  niece,  and 
myself  to  the  Washington's  Birthday  ball  (22nd 
of  February).  My  wife  in  reply  to  an  eloquent 
speech  made  by  Gen.  Wiltse  said:  "We  thank 
you  for  the  invitation,  but  as  it  is  Lent,  we  can 
not  go  to  a  ball."  I  replied:  "Lent  or  no  Lent, 
I'll  go  and  take  my  niece  and  Miss  Henrietta  to 
the  ball."  We  went,  and  after  I  had  danced 
once  or  twice  with  Mrs.  Crane,  the  Doctor  in 
vited  me  to  drink  with  him  and  ordered  a  $5.00 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          255 

bottle  of  champagne.  He  said:  "General,  my 
father-in-law,  Dr.  Langworthy  of  Eochester,  N. 
Y.,  who  is  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Silas 
Wright,  is  going  to  have  me  made  Surveyor 
General  in  the  place  of  General  Wilson." 
"Well,  Doctor ",  said  I,  "let's  drink  to  the 
health  of  the  next  Surveyor  General ! '  '•  -  and 
we  did  so.  I  knew  well  that  I  was  to  be  the  man ; 
and  on  entering  the  office  I  made  Capt.  Karrick 
one  of  my  clerks,  by  which  he  earned  as  copyist 
some  $1500  to  $1700  a  year. 

On  my  return  home  in  1856,  Capt.  Karrick 
asked  me  to  buy  out  George  Samuels '  one-third 
in  their  "prospect".  Upon  my  saying  that  I 
had  no  time  to  spare  from  my  senatorial  duties 
to  engage  in  mining,  he  insisted,  and  asked  me 
to  take  him  out  to  see  the  "prospect".  I  drove 
him  out  in  my  carriage  and  told  him,  after  see 
ing  Tom  Walters  and  Mr.  Otey  in  the  shaft, 
that  I  would  not  give  the  $260,  which  Samuels 
asked  for  his  share,  for  all  the  lead.  Karrick 
persisted,  and  so  I  bought  out  Samuels'  inter 
est.  That  lode  has  turned  out  some  eleven  mil 
lion  pounds  of  ore  and  has  now  become  my 
property.  I  believe  we  have  taken  out  but  a 
portion  of  the  amount  there,  and  that  there  are 
millions  of  pounds  of  ore  further  down. 

In  1846,  at  the  instance  of  my  dear  old  friends, 
Gen.  James  Shields,  then  Commissioner  of  the 
Land  Office,  afterwards  my  brother  Senator 


256     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

in  Congress,  and  Messrs.  John  and  Joseph  Wil 
son,  I  appointed  Thomas  S.  Nairn,  of  Washing 
ton,  D.  C.,  nephew  of  the  Wilsons,  a  clerk  in  my 
Surveyor  General's  office.  He  proved  to  be  one 
of  the  best  clerks  that  ever  entered  an  office. 
He  married  my  dear  friend's  eldest  daughter, 
Henrietta  Karrick ;  and  their  remains  and  those 
of  Capt.  Karrick  are  interred  in  Linwood  Cem 
etery. 

John  and  Joseph  Wilson  were  old  friends  of 
mine  dating  from  when  I  knew  them  in  1834  as 
clerks  in  and  later  as  Commissioners  of  the 
General  Land  Office  at  Washington. 

I  wrote  the  obituary  notice  of  Capt.  Karrick, 
between  whose  family  and  mine  there  has  al 
ways  existed  the  most  cordial  friendship. 


GEN.  WARNER  LEWIS 

MY  acquaintance  with  —  I  may  say  my  strong 
friendship  for  —  Gen.  Warner  Lewis  dates  back 
to  1818,  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  We  served  in 
the  Black  Hawk  War  together,  and  when  he  was 
State  Senator  in  Iowa,  in  1848,  he  used  his  in 
fluence  in  favor  of  my  election  to  the  United 
States  Senate. 

The  week  following  my  election  I  had  him  ap 
pointed  Surveyor  General  of  Wisconsin,  the  of 
fice  being  in  this  city.  Like  all  members  of  the 
"F.  F.  V."  he  was  the  embodiment  of  hospi- 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          257 

tality  and  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school.  That 
he  was  not  lacking  in  bravery  or  chivalry  was 
manifest  in  his  taking  part  in  the  war  above 
alluded  to,  but  his  disposition  was  of  the  gen 
tlest  and  most  yielding  nature,  and  he  was  a 
loyal  and  steadfast  friend. 


EDWIN  FORREST 

IN  the  year  182-  Edwin  Forrest  was  appearing 
in  light  plays  at  Lexington,  greatly  to  the  de 
light  of  the  students,  when  James  W.  Schaum- 
bourg,  a  fellow  student  of  mine,  and  myself 
were  appointed,  by  the  students,  a  committee  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  funds  to  enable  Mr.  For 
rest  to  go  to  New  Orleans  where  he  was  to  make 
his  first  appearance  in  tragedy.  .  .  . 

The  friendship  thus  begun  lasted  throughout 
his  lifetime,  and  I  allowed  no  opportunity  to 
pass  without  availing  myself  of  it  to  witness  his 
triumphs  on  the  stage. 


HENRY  CLAY'S  SON  THEODORE 

THEODORE  CLAY  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  great 
statesman,  Henry  Clay,  my  college  guardian. 
He  was  graduated  from  the  college  proper  and 
also  the  Law  Department  of  Transylvania  Uni 
versity.  During  the  winter  of  1824-5  and  the 
Christmas  vacation,  Theodore  and  I  became  en- 

17 


258     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

gaged  in  a  game  of  billiards,  he  having  a  Mr. 
Taylor  as  his  partner,  and  I  having  Dr.  Eeid  as 
mine.  Theodore  proposing  that  we  should  play 
for  theatre  tickets,  I  at  first  objected,  but  on  his 
insisting  agreed  to  it.  After  Eeid  and  I  had 
beaten  several  games,  Theodore  and  I  disagree 
ing  as  to  the  number,  he  exclaimed:  "You  had 
better  dispute  my  words  ! ' '  Whereupon  I  told 
him:  "You  are  a  -  -  infernal  liar."  Then 
lie  rushed  at  me,  but  the  bystanders  interfered 
and  we  were  not  allowed  to  fight.  Each  of  us 
persisted  in  our  assertions.  My  partner  asked 
me  if  I  thought  I  could  fight  Clay,  who  was  three 
or  four  years  my  senior.  "Yes",  I  replied,  "I 
can  whip  him,  if  you  will  only  let  me  at  him ! ' ' 
Whereupon  Dr.  Eeid  called  out:  "Stand  off, 
gentlemen !  let  these  young  men  have  a  fair 
fight ! ' '  Then  Theodore  rushed  at  me,  exclaim 
ing,  * '  Lay  on,  Macduff ;  and  damned  be  him  who 
first  cries  'hold,  enough!'  I  grabbed  a  lock  of 
his  hair  and  pounded  him  well,  till  he  called: 
' '  Take  him  off,  I  'm  sick ! ' '  Then  we  were  sep 
arated.  After  which  he  was  taken  upstairs  and 
put  to  bed.  Shortly  after,  on  the  same  day, 
Thomas  Clay,  Theodore's  brother,  a  year  or 
two  older  than  I,  came  to  me  bearing  a  message 
from  Theodore,  saying  that  when  he  got  well,  I 
would  hear  from  him. 

For  several  weeks  after  that  I  omitted  my 
usual  calls  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Clay,  when 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  259 

one  day  as  I  walked  up  Main  Street  I  was 
stopped  by  Mrs.  Clay,  who  was  in  the  carriage 
with  her  husband,  asking:  "Mr.  Jones,  why 
have  you  not  been  to  see  us  for  so  long  a  time!" 
I  replied  that  in  consequence  of  time  lost  during 
the  Holidays  I  had  been  trying  to  catch  up  in  my 
studies.  Mrs.  Clay  replied:  "That's  a  story!  it 
is  because  you  whipped  Theodore,  and  you  could 
not  have  done  anything  that  pleased  Mr.  Clay 
and  me  more,"  Mr.  Clay  adding:  "You  must 
come  back  to  our  house;  Theodore  is  a  sassy 
fellow  and  it  is  a  good  thing  you  whipped  him. ' ' 
I  immediately  afterwards  resumed  my  visits 
to  his  hospitable  mansion,  visiting  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Clay,  their  sons,  Henry,  who,  years  later,  was 
killed  whilst  fighting  under  Gen.  Zachary  Tay 
lor  and  Gen.  Jefferson  Davis  in  the  Mexican 
War,  James  B.,  who  was  afterwards  appointed 
Minister  to  Portugal,  and  John,  the  youngest. 
Theodore  meantime  determining  to  go  to  New 
Orleans  to  practice  law,  came  to  me  extending 
his  hand,  and  we  were  reconciled.  The  next  time 
after  this  that  I  saw  Theodore  was  in  1850, 
when,  upon  Mr.  Clay's  invitation,  I  accompanied 
him  home  from  Washington.  Theodore  was 
then  an  inmate  of  the  insane  asylum  at  Lex 
ington,  where  he  died.  En  route  to  Lexington 
we  stopped  over  at  Blue  Lick  Springs,  to  visit 
my  sons,  Charles  and  William,  students  at  the 
Western  Military  Institute,  where  I  had  placed 


260     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

them  upon  the  recommendation  of  Mr.  Clay.  It 
was  on  this  occasion  that  I  first  met  Mr.  James 
G.  Elaine,  then  Professor  in  the  Institute.  At 
the  next  session  of  Congress,  1850-1851, 1  again, 
of  course,  met  Mr.  Clay,  we  being  brother 
United  States  Senators.  He  was  often  absent 
from  the  sessions  on  account  of  impaired  health, 
during  which  time  I  almost  daily  visited  him  at 
his  rooms  in  the  National  Hotel,  where  I  saw 
him  breathe  his  last.  At  the  meeting  of  the 
Senate  for  his  obsequies,  I,  among  others,  ad 
dressed  the  members.158 


DKESS  OF  THE  PEKIOD 

I  EEMEMBEE  that  when  I  was  a  student  at  Tran 
sylvania  University  I  was  fastidious  in  the  mat 
ter  of  dress  —  "full  dress"  consisting  of 
Canton-crepe  trousers,  buff  colored  buck-skin 
boots,  dark  blue  or  black  swallow-tail  coat  with 
brass  buttons,  which  were  sometimes  flat  and 
sometimes  bullet  shaped,  white  waist-coat,  shirt 
ruffled  at  the  bosom  and  sleeves,  very  stiff  and 
high-standing  collars,  and  the  white  or  black 
silk  broad  stock.  I  used  to  beg  my  laundress, 
"Tiny",  to  starch  my  collars  so  stiff  that  they 
could  draw  the  blood  from  my  ears.  No  gentle 
man  at  that  time,  and  later,  was  in  good  form  in 
the  ball-room  without  swallow-tail  coat  and 
dancing  pumps  —  anyone  appearing  otherwise 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          261 

would  not  have  been  allowed  to  enter.  In  con 
trast  to  this,  I  may  mention  that  about  the  year 
1858  I  was  surprised  at  some  great  ball  in  Wash 
ington  to  see  my  dear  old  friend  Gen.  Harney 
enter  with  frock  coat  on.  On  expressing  my 
surprise,  he  replied:  "Why,  this  is  all  the  style 
in  Paris  and  London"  -whence  he  had  just  re 
turned. 


MY  FATHER'S  DRESS 

IT  may  be  interesting  to  note  here  the  style  of 
dress  worn  by  my  father  on  his  arrival  in  this 
country  and  afterwards,  namely,  short  clothes 
or  knee  breeches  with  silver  buckles  at  the  knee, 
black  silk  hose  and  low  shoes  with  large  silver 
buckles.  .  .  . 

His  hair,  which  had  never  been  cut  during  his 
life,  was  worn  in  a  queue  tucked  up  to  his  head 
with  a  small  comb,  and  his  face  was  always 
clean-shaven.  His  hat  was  a  beaver.  When  on 
the  circuit,  as  a  lawyer  or  judge,  he  wore  leg 
gings  to  protect  him  from  the  cold  in  winter  and 
from  mud  in  other  seasons  of  the  year. 


FATHER  MAZZUCHELLI 

ABOUT  the  year  1834  or  1835  and  one  day  when 
I  was  in  Galena,  Mayor  Nicholas  Bowling 
(knowing  that  means  of  transportation  were 


262     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

meagre)  said  to  me :  "  There  is  a  Catholic  priest 
here  who  wishes  to  go  to  Dubuque.  Will  you 
take  him  in  your  carriage?'7  I  replied:  "Cer 
tainly,  but  on  one  condition,  that  is,  that  he  will 
agree  to  say  mass  at  my  house,  to-morrow  morn 
ing,  for  my  wife  and  neighbors77  -I  was  not 
then  a  Catholic  —  whereupon  he  took  me  to  the 
priest,  who  proved  to  be  the  Rev.  Sam7!  Maz- 
zuchelli,  and  whom  I  found  to  be  a  charming 
companion. 

He  was  a  frequent  and  welcome  guest  at  my 
house,  where  he  officiated  in  his  capacity  as 
chaplain,  having  baptized  all  our  children  and 
stood  as  sponsor  for  one,  and  offered  up  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  mass.  One  night  he  came 
saying  he  wanted  me  to  take  him  the  following 
day  to  Dodgeville  to  perform  the  marriage  ser 
vice  for  Myers  F.  Truitt  and  Celina  Dodge, 
sister  of  Augustus.  Accordingly  we  went,  re 
turning  home  the  following  day. 

Father  Mazzuchelli  built  the  church  in  Du- 
buque  which  became  the  first  Cathedral,  just 
south  of  the  spot  on  which  the  present  Cathedral 
stands. 


PRESIDENT  ANDREW  JACKSON 

HONS.  THOMAS  H.  BEATON  and  Lewis  F.  Linn, 
Senators  from  Missouri,  and  Wm.  Allen  of 
Ohio,  who  were  my  "mess-mates77,  told  me  that 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          263 

during  the  discussion  of  the  question  of  re- 
chartering  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  and 
after  President  Jackson  had  withdrawn  United 
States  deposits  from  that  bank  and  placed  them 
in  charge  of  his  then  Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 
Hon.  Roger  B.  Taney,  later  Chief  Justice  of  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court,  a  committee  of 
some  sixty  gentlemen  appointed  by  the  city  of 
Philadelphia  went  to  Washington  to  induce  the 
President  not  to  veto  that  bill.159  The  old  gen 
tleman  being  quite  feeble,  was  lying  on  a  couch 
in  the  Executive  chamber  when  the  committee 
appeared  before  him  and  made  several  speeches 
in  behalf  of  their  petition.  One  gentleman  in 
his  vehemence,  to  clinch  their  arguments,  said: 
"Mr.  President,  instead  of  sixty  gentlemen  com 
ing  to  see  you  in  reference  to  this  matter,  an 
army  of  sixty  thousand  will  come  to  demand  the 
approval  of  the  bill ! ' '  The  old  hero  sprang  up 
from  the  couch  on  which  he  was  lying,  and  in 
stentorian  tones,  with  clenched  fist,  exclaimed: 
' '  Tell  them  to  come  on !  Tell  them  to  come  on  I 
I'll  meet  them  at  Bladensburg,  and  not  run  off, 
as  Madison  did  from  the  British  army,  allowing 
it  to  burn  down  our  Capitol,  in  the  War  of  1812  I 
I  '11  drive  them  back  to  Pennsylvania ! ' '  He  de 
nied  their  petition  and  vetoed  the  bill  to  re- 
charter  the  Bank  of  the  United  States,  the 
charter  of  which  was  substituted  by  the  adoption 
of  the  Sub-Treasury  Bill,  which  has  since  been 
the  law  of  the  land. 


264  GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

HON.  ROGER  B.  TANEY 

I  AM  happy  to  have  numbered  amongst  my 
friends  Hon.  Eoger  B.  Taney,  who  was  Chief 
Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court 
when  I  went  to  Washington  as  Delegate  from 
Michigan ;  and  the  friendship  existed  during  his 
life  time  —  a  fact  I  note  with  pardonable  pride, 
for,  besides  being  one  of  the  ablest  jurists  and 
most  distinguished  men  of  America,  he  was  a 
man  of  most  unblemished  character,  a  devout 
Eoman  Catholic,  and  a  gentleman  of  the  old 
school,  respected  and  admired  alike  by  people  of 
all  political  faiths. 


BANQUET  TENDERED  ME  BY  MILWAUKEE 

IN  the  latter  part  of  August,  1837,  I  left  Sin- 
sinawa  Mound,  my  home,  to  attend  the  extra 
session  of  Congress  called  by  President  Van 
Buren  in  that  month.  In  the  carriage  with  me 
were  my  wife  and  infant  son,  we  taking  with  us 
from  Gratiot 's  Grove,  however,  Mrs.  Henry 
Gratiot,  widow  of  Colonel  Henry  Gratiot  (father 
of  the  late  Mrs.  E.  B.  Washburne  of  Illinois) 
and  sister-in-law  of  Honorable  Charles  Gratiot, 
chief  engineer  of  the  United  States  at  Washing 
ton.  We  drove  through  the  southern  tier  of 
counties  of  Wisconsin,  passing  through  Janes- 
ville  and  Racine,  to  Milwaukee.  At  the  former 
two  places  public  dinners  were  tendered  to  me 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          265 

by  the  citizens,  which,  because  of  my  desire  to 
make  connection  with  the  steamer  "  Madison " 
at  Milwaukee,  I  declined.  On  reaching  Mil 
waukee  I  was  again  tendered  a  dinner  by  the 
Mayor  and  Council  of  that  city,  which  I  also  de 
clined.  In  a  short  time  the  committee  appointed 
to  wait  upon  and  tender  me  the  compliment  re 
turned  in  carriages  and  invited  myself  and 
party  to  drive  around  the  city  and  then  take  a 
"lighter"  which  would  convey  us  to  the  steam 
er.  After  a  charming  drive  and  upon  reaching 
the  lighter  we  found  collected  there  a  large 
number  of  citizens  with  a  fine  band  of  music, 
and  a  magnificent  banquet  was  enjoyed  until, 
along  in  the  night,  the  "  Madison "  coming 
along,  we  were  taken  aboard  and  pursued  our 
journey  via  Buffalo  and  New  York  City  to 
Washington. 

Stopping  at  Baltimore  we  visited  the  grave  of 
Colonel  Gratiot  (late  Indian  Agent,  at  Gratiot 's 
Grove,  of  the  Winnebago  nation)  he  having 
died  the  March  previous  of  pneumonia  at  Bar- 
num's  Hotel  en  route  west.  His  widow  threw 
herself  on  his  grave,  giving  vent  to  the  most 
poignant  grief. 

The  extra  session  had  been  called  for  the  dis 
cussion  of  the  Sub-Treasury  scheme  of  Mr. 
Van  Buren  and  adjourned  about  the  last  of 
September. 


266  GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

GEN.  JEFFERSON  DAVIS '  FALL  INTO  THE  TIBER 

IN  the  winter  of  1838  Gen.  Jefferson  Davis,  my 
old  friend  and  college-mate,  called  upon  me  at 
my  boarding  house  at  Dawson's,  on  Capitol 
Hill,  and  he  was  looking  quite  ill.100  I  was  over 
joyed  to  see  him.  He  was  just  then  returning 
to  his  home  in  Mississippi  from  Cuba,  where  he 
had  been  for  his  health.  As  was  the  case  with 
Gen.  A.  C.  Dodge,  the  winter  before,  I  asked 
him  to  become  my  guest.  He  consented  to  do 
this ;  and  so  I  sent  my  servant  to  Brown's  Hotel 
for  his  luggage.  I  introduced  him  to  Col. 
Benton,  the  President,  and  some  forty  odd  other 
members  of  our  mess,  Dr.  Linn,  Wm.  Allen  of 
Ohio,  Thurman,  and  other  members  of  Con 
gress  and  of  the  Cabinet  of  President  Van 
Buren,  all  of  whom  he  made  his  friends  and 
admirers. 

On  one  occasion,  as  was  always  the  case, 
Messrs.  Linn,  Allen,  Davis,  and  myself  went  to 
a  large  party  together.  At  about  twelve 
o'clock,  Dr.  Linn  proposed  to  me  to  go  home, 
and  we  sought  Davis  and  Allen,  whom  we  found 
in  the  banqueting  room,  eating  and  drinking 
together  with  Crittenden  and  others.  Critten- 
den  said:  "Jones,  you  and  Linn  go  home  and 
Haws  and  I  will  take  Allen  and  Davis  home  in 
our  carriage."  So  we  left.  After  the  doctor 
and  I  had  been  in  bed  a  short  time  (I  often  slept 
with  Dr.  Linn),  we  heard  the  stentorian  voice 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  267 

of  Allen  as  he  and  Davis  approached  our  house, 
walking.  They  soon  entered  our  room,  blood, 
mud  and  water  trickling  down  the  face  of  Davis, 
who  was  without  a  hat  and  looked  very  badly. 
Allen  said:  "We  rode  with  Crittenden  and 
Haws  to  their  boarding  house  and  concluded  we 
would  walk  up  the  hill  to  digest  our  supper  and 
wine.  As  we  reached  First  Street,  we  walked 
a  little  too  high  up,  missed  the  bridge  and 
plunged  into  the  Tiber.  (It  is  now  covered  and 
is  not  seen  by  passengers.)  Davis  fell  head 
foremost  upon  the  stones  and  was  nearly 
killed."  Allen  continued  talking,  repeating  to 
Dr.  Linn  and  myself  the  speech  which  he  said 
enabled  him  to  beat  his  competitor,  Gov.  Mc- 
Arthur,  of  Ohio,  by  one  vote  for  Congress.  He 
was  still  full  of  wine,  but  Davis,  who  never 
drank  to  excess,  sat  mute.  Dr.  Linn  and  I  dis 
robed  Davis,  and  the  doctor  dressed  the  ter 
rible  wounds  on  his  head,  I  getting  clean  clothes 
in  the  meantime  out  of  Davis'  bureau.  The 
next  morning  I  went  into  Davis'  room  to  wake 
him  up  for  breakfast,  when  I  found  him  speech 
less  and  almost  dead.  I  ran  back  for  Dr.  Linn, 
who  snatched  up  his  bottles  of  camphor  and 
laudanum,  and  entering  Davis7  room,  we  put 
the  bottle  to  his  nose  and  rubbed  him,  soon  re 
storing  him  to  consciousness  and  life  again. 
Dr.  Linn  said  he  would  have  died  in  a  few  min 
utes  if  I  had  not  discovered  him  and  applied 
the  restoratives. 


268     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

When  I  was  Surveyor  General,  I  went,  in  the 
winter  of  1846,  to  Washington  and  took  board 
at  Mrs.  Best's  boarding  house  on  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  where  my  old  friends  the  two  Dodges 
and  Jeff .  Davis,  the  latter  then  a  Eepresentative 
in  the  House  from  Mississippi,  were  boarding, 
with  Senator  Sevier,  Jake  Thompson,  and  oth 
ers.  As  I  sat  by  Davis  in  the  House  of  Eepre- 
sentatives  one  day,  he  said:  " Jones,  Augustus 
Dodge  tells  me  you  are  hard  up  for  money. " 
4 'Yes,  there  is  a  judgment  for  $400  against  me 
that  I  can  not  pay."  He  took  his  pen,  drew  a 
draft  for  $1,000  on  his  commission  merchant, 
Mr.  J.  U.  Payne  in  New  Orleans,  and  handed  it 
to  me.  I  was  surprised,  and  asked:  "How  come 
you  by  so  much  money?  The  last  time  I  saw 
you,  you  were  yourself  penniless. "  He  re 
plied:  "I  have  been  very  successful  on  my 
cotton  plantation. ' '  I  drew  my  note  to  him  for 
the  amount  at  ten  per  cent  interest  and  handed 
it  to  him.  He  tore  it  up  into  small  pieces,  threw 
them  upon  the  floor,  and  remarked :  ( i  When  you 
get  more  money,  Jones,  than  you  know  what  to 
do  with,  you  may  pay  me  the  money  without 
interest,  and  not  before. ' ' 

This  is  the  man  who  became  the  president  of 
the  Southern  Confederacy  and  at  whose  funeral 
I  was  first  pall  bearer  with  Justice  Charles  C. 
Fenner  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Louisiana,  at 
whose  house  Davis  died  on  the  6th  day  of  De 
cember,  1889. 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          269 
GENERAL  EATON 

IN  November,  1848,  as  I  walked  down  street, 
at  the  corner  of  -  -  and  Fourth  streets,  I 

saw  Gen.  A.  K.  Eaton  diagonally  across,  load 
ing  his  wagon  with  general  merchandise  to  take 
to  Delhi,  his  place  of  residence.  I  shook  hands 
with  him,  when  he  immediately  said:  " Don't 
stand  here  talking  to  me;  I  am  all  right  —  go 
on!"  He  evidently  thought  I  intended  to  talk 
to  him  about  my  candidacy  for  the  Senate ;  but 
I  had  no  such  idea.  I  did  not  see  him  after  this 
until  I  had  been  nominated  and  elected  Iowa's 
first  United  States  Senator,  on  December  7th 
of  the  same  year.  He  was  the  last  member  of 
the  legislature  to  reach  Iowa  City  (the  then 
Capital)  before  the  caucus  was  held,  though  he 
had  been  eagerly  looked  for  by  my  friends  and 
those  of  other  candidates,  anxious  to  learn 
how  he  stood.  I  had  told  my  friends  to  have  no 
uneasiness,  as  I  was  certain  he  was  my  friend 
and  would  vote  for  me,  although  I  had  never 
had  any  conversation  with  him  upon  the  subject. 
He  voted  for  me  in  caucus,  and  the  following 
day  I  was  nominated  and  elected.  Ever  since 
then  we  have  been  staunch  friends  and  regular 
correspondents. 

I  had  the  pleasure  when  Surveyor  General  of 
appointing  him  one  of  my  deputies,  and  during 
the  administration  of  President  Pierce  had  him 
appointed  Eeceiver  of  Public  Moneys  at  the 


270     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

Land  Office  at  Decorah,  from  which  place  it  was 
subsequently  removed  to  Osage,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  His  associate  in  the  office  was 
Col.  J.  Doran  Jenkins,  with  whom  I  served  in 
the  Black  Hawk  War.  Gen.  Eaton  has  of  late 
years  been  engaged  in  writing  various  con 
tributions  to  history,  in  the  newspapers  of  his 
town,  of  great  interest  and  value.  He  is  a  man 
of  fine  intellect,  extraordinary  memory,  and  un 
swerving  loyalty  to  his  friends  and  country. 
Upon  the  invitation  of  his  son,  Wm.  L.,  a  tal 
ented  lawyer  and  attorney  for  the  I.  C.  E.  R.  at 
Osage,  who  was  Chairman  of  the  Invitation 
Committee,  I  attended  on  May  22,  1895,  the  Re 
union  of  the  Early  Settlers  of  that  section  at 
Osage.  At  that  meeting  Gen.  Eaton  as  pre 
siding  officer  made  an  address  in  which  he  re 
ferred  to  me  as  Delegate,  Surveyor  General, 
Senator,  and  United  States  Minister  to  Bogota, 
rehearsing  many  incidents  of  the  past.  My  visit 
with  him  and  his  son  and  family  was  of  the 
most  delightful  nature,  the  recollection  of  which 
will  serve  to  strengthen,  if  that  were  possible, 
the  bonds  of  friendship  that  have  so  long  ex 
isted  between  us. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  COLONEL  BENTON 

WHEN  the  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Benton,  "Old  Bul 
lion  "    became  a  candidate  for  the  House  of 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  271 

Representatives  in  Congress  against  Hon. 
Lewis  V.  Bogy,  in  Missouri,  I  met  with  him  on 
a  steamer  on  his  way  to  Cape  Girardean,  where 
he  was  advertised  to  address  the  people.  Al 
luding  to  the  fierce  denunciation  of  him  by  his 
opponents,  he  asked  me  what  they  said  about 
him.  I  replied:  "They  say  very  hard  things 
that  I  do  not  wish  to  repeat. "  "  Tell  me,  what 
do  they  say?"  "They  say  you  are  so  vain  and 
egotistical.'7  He  promptly  replied:  "G —  d— 
them,  I've  got  something  to  be  vain  and  ego 
tistical  of.  I  know  more  than  all  of  them  put 
together."  I  recollect  that  he  came  to  the  door 
of  the  House  on  one  occasion  (I  was  then  a 
Delegate,)  and  hallooed,  in  stentorian  tones,  to 
them  that  they  should  adjourn  sine  die,  as  it 
was  Sunday,  and,  therefore,  their  sitting  and 
acts  were  illegal.  Hon.  John  Quincy  Adams 
was  then  a  member  of  the  House,  and  in  reply 
to  Col.  Benton's  remark,  said:  "The  Constitu 
tion  of  the  United  States  does  not  recognize  any 
Sunday,  and  the  House  has  a  perfect  right  to 
continue  their  session  until  twelve  o'clock, 
albeit  it  is  Sunday,  the  last  day  of  the  Session." 
And  so  they  remained  in  session  until  12  M. 
when  they  adjourned  sine  die. 

During  the  great  compromise  session  of  1850, 
Henry  S.  Foote  of  Mississippi,  one  of  the  most 
eloquent  men  in  Congress,  was  in  the  habit  of 


272     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

making  very  sarcastic  speeches,  and  when  he 
first  came  to  the  Senate  he  asked  in  one  of  our 
Democratic  caucuses:  "Why  don't  some  of  you 
Democrats  give  Seward  a  raking  down?" 
"Well",  someone  replied,  "you'll  have  an  op 
portunity  to  do  so  soon." 

Governor  Foote  soon  afterwards  made  one  of 
the  most  sarcastic,  able,  and  denunciatory 
speeches  that  was  ever  heard,  and  almost  in 
violation  of  the  rules  of  the  Senate.  Seward 
sat  across  the  room  looking  at  him  all  the  time. 
As  soon  as  Foote  had  finished  his  speech  he  sat 
down  with  his  back  to  Seward,  who  arose  im 
mediately,  walked  over  to  Foote,  grasped  his 
hand  and  shook  it  cordially,  and  congratulated 
him  heartily  on  his  eloquent  and  beautiful 
speech.  The  whole  Senate  laughed  and  Foote 
turned  red  as  fire.  Foote  took  it  for  granted 
that  Seward  had  come  to  knock  him  down. 

Not  long  after  that,  he  made  a  like  attack 
upon  Col.  Benton,  the  "Thirty  Years  Senator 
from  Missouri."  He  even  endeavored  to  make 
his  anathemas  stronger.  Foote  stood  on  the 
back  tier,  near  the  railing,  in  the  old  Senate 
Chamber,  now  the  Supreme  Court  room.  Col. 
Benton  sat  with  his  profile  toward  Foote  at  the 
far  east  end  of  the  semi-circle.  When  Foote 
alluded  to  Col.  Benton 's  having  "stolen  the 
bank  notes  that  were  found  folded  up  in  his  silk 
cravat",161  Senator  Benton  quickly  rose  up,  and 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          273 

in  doing  so  knocked  over  one  or  two  of  the  large 
chairs,  making  quite  a  crash,  and  marched  to 
ward  Foote,  who  retreated  rapidly  through  the 
aisles  on  the  Democratic  side.  As  he  went  he 
drew  from  his  bosom  a  pistol,  which  I  saw  taken 
from  him  by  Senator  Daniel  S.  Dickinson  of 
New  York.  When  Senator  Benton  was  told  that 
Foote  had  drawn  a  pistol,  he  immediately  re 
turned  to  his  seat,  and  baring  his  breast,  ex 
claimed:  "Fire,  you  coward!  fire,  you  - 

— !"  That  was  the  most  exciting  scene  I 
ever  witnessed  in  the  Senate.162  Soon  after  that 
Foote  had  a  street  fight  with  Col.  Benton 's  son- 
in-law,  Fremont,  who  came  to  me  to  be  his 
second ;  but  Foote  did  not  challenge  him. 


MAJOR  JOHN  P.  SHELDON 

MAJOK  JOHN  P.  SHELDON  was  a  gentleman  for 
whom  I  always  had  the  highest  regard.  He  was 
of  the  old  school,  courtly  in  appearance  and 
manner  and  a  brave  officer  with  Gen.  Cass  in  the 
War  of  1812,  at  the  close  of  which  he  founded 
and  edited  the  Detroit  Free  Press.  His  nephew, 
Sheldon  McKnight,  succeeded  him  as  Delegate 
from  Michigan  in  1835,  over  Woodbridge  and 
Doty,  United  States  Judges,  and  Morgan  L. 
Martin,  all  previously  referred  to.163 

Major  Sheldon  left  Detroit  in  1835,  when  ap 
pointed  Deputy  United  States  Lead  Mine  Agent 

18 


274     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

at  Peru,  north  of  Dubuque.  He  was  subse 
quently  Eegister  of  the  Land  Office  at  Mineral 
Point,  and  editor  of  the  Free  Press  in  that  town. 
When  I  became  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Pensions  in  the  United  States  Senate,  I  made 
him  Clerk  of  that  Committee.  When  he  re 
ceived  the  telegram  announcing  it,  he  handed  it 
to  his  wife,  a  most  intelligent  woman,  who  ex 
claimed:  "Why,  that  is  not  Gen.  Jones'  writ 
ing!"  Whereupon  he  laughed  heartily.  This 
was  in  the  early  days  of  telegraphy. 


JENNY  LIND 

ON  my  arrival  at  the  Jones  Hotel  in  Phila 
delphia  in  the  last  week  of  November,  1850,  on 
my  way  to  Congress,  I  met  Hon.  Howell  Cobb  of 
Georgia,  then  Speaker  of  the  House,  afterwards 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  under  President 
Buchanan  in  1857.  After  an  exchange  of  greet 
ings,  he  said:  "I  have  two  tickets  for  the  con 
cert  and  want  you  to  go  with  me  to  hear  the 
famous  Jenny  Lind  sing."  I  complied,  and 
after  the  great  songstress  had  given  several 
numbers,  Cobb  exclaimed:  "Let  us  go  home.  I 
have  a  dozen  negro  women  on  my  plantation 
who  can  excel  her."  Thereupon  we  left.  The 
following  week  I  heard  the  Diva  again  at  the  old 
National  Theatre,  Washington  City.  I  was 
seated  in  the  first  tier  in  the  parquet  when  Mr. 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          275 

Webster  entered  and  sat  beside  me.  He  came 
from  a  dinner  party  at  the  Russian  Minister's, 
and  being  quite  exhilarated,  gave  vociferous 
demonstrations  of  his  delight  at  hearing  the 
Swedish  nightingale.  He  then  asked  her  to  sing 
the  "Star  Spangled  Banner",  he  joining  in  the 
chorus ;  and  afterwards  he  gave  vent  to  his  en 
thusiasm  in  most  extravagant  language,  con 
cluding  by  presenting  her  with  a  handsome 
bouquet. 


MISS  ULOU"  BTJLLITT 

IN  the  winter  of  1837  Miss  "Lou"  Bullitt,  sister 
of  Mrs.  Gen.  Atkinson,  whose  husband  was 
Commander  of  the  forces  in  the  armies  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War,  was  considered  the  belle  of 
Washington.  Her  chief  admirers  were  Mr.  Van 
Buren,  Vice  President  of  the  United  States, 
James  Buchanan,  Wm.  E.  King,  afterwards 
Vice  President  with  Pierce  as  President,  and 
Lucius  Lyon,  Senator  from  Michigan.  She  was 
the  sister  of  my  college-mate  Alex.  Bullitt,  at 
Transylvania  University,  she  being  at  the  same 
time  a  pupil  of  Mr.  Dunham's  Female  Semi 
nary,  in  Lexington.  We  were  very  devoted 
friends,  and  Buchanan  and  Lyon  knowing  this 
frequently  called  upon  me  to  accompany  them 
on  the  occasion  of  their  visits  to  her;  so  that  I 
was  wont  to  say  to  her :  i  t  Lou,  you  must  make 


276     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

those  fellows  vote  for  my  bills."     Which  she 
did  in  a  most  thoroughly  artful  manner. 

She  married  later  a  Count,  and  after  her  de 
parture  for  Europe  I  lost  sight  of  her.  Her 
sister,  Gen.  Atkinson's  widow,  married  Adam 
Duncan  Stewart  of  Detroit  fame. 


HENRY  CLAY  DEAN 

ABOUT  the  year  1851  or  1852  when  Eev.  Henry 
Clay  Dean,  a  Methodist  minister  of  this  State, 
noted  for  his  extraordinary  mental  gifts  and 
eloquence,  was  here  in  attendance  upon  confer 
ence,  he  was  my  guest  at  "Alta  Vista",  my 
residence  at  that  time.  We  had  been  invited  to 
dine,  in  company  with  the  Presiding  Bishop  and 
other  dignitaries  of  that  church,  at  the  house  of 
our  mutual  and  dear  friend  Gen.  Warner  Lewis. 
A  bountiful  spread,  and  likewise  "the  feast  of 
reason",  had  detained  us  so  long  at  the  table 
that  before  we  were  aware  of  it,  the  hour  had 
arrived  for  a  service  at  the  church,  at  which  the 
Rev.  Dean  was  to  deliver  a  sermon.  As  soon  as 
he  left  the  room  I  remarked  to  the  assembled 
guests  that  I  would  have  Mr.  Dean  made  Chap 
lain  of  the  United  States  Senate,  at  its  next 
session.  Accordingly,  after  reaching  Washing 
ton  when  we  went  into  caucus  to  nominate  the 
officers  of  the  Senate,  I  proposed  the  name  of 
Rev.  Henry  Clay  Dean  of  Iowa,  for  Chaplain, 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          277 

and  soon  afterwards  telegraphed  him  that  he 
was  elected.164 

Upon  his  arrival  in  Washington  I  took  him  to 
the  National  Hotel  and  introduced  him  to  my 
noble  friend,  Hon.  Henry  Clay,  the  senior  Sen 
ator  from  Kentucky,  as  "his  name  sake",  when 
Mr.  Clay  observed:  "The  question  is,  whether 
you  were  named  for  me  or  I  for  you. ' '  Several 
Sundays  after  Mr.  Dean's  election  as  Chaplain 
it  was  announced  that  he  would  deliver  a  ser 
mon  at  the  "Foundry  M.  E.  Church",  in  Wash 
ington,  and  nearly  all  the  leading  Senators  at 
tended  to  hear  him.  At  the  conclusion  of  his 
sermon,  when  he  descended  from  the  pulpit,  he 
was  surrounded  by  such  men  as  Clay,  Webster, 
Benton,  Calhoun,  Grundy,  Dickinson  of  New 
York,  Smith  of  Connecticut,  etc.,  all  of  whom 
complimented  him  because  of  his  able  sermon.165 

Mr.  Dean  and  I  remained  devoted  friends  as 
long  as  he  lived,  his  friendship  having  been  em 
phasized  by  naming  a  son  for  me. 

Still  another  friend  who  conferred  a  similar 
compliment  upon  me  was  Capt.  Isaac  W.  Grif 
fith,  who,  with  his  revered  wife,  has  been  a 
resident  of  this  State  since  somewhere  in  the 
forties.  After  serving  in  the  Mexican  War, 
losing  his  right  arm  in  the  battle  of  Cherubusco, 
he  became  a  citizen  of  Lee  County,  and  was 
elected  to  the  State  legislature,  where  he  con 
tributed  his  potential  influence  to  my  election  as 
United  States  Senator. 


278     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

About  the  year  1850  or  1851  I  had  him  ap 
pointed  an  officer  of  the  Senate,  and  one  even 
ing  at  the  President's  levee  I  introduced  him  to 
Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  who,  recognizing  in  Capt. 
Griffith  a  brave  and  meritorious  officer,  greeted 
him  most  cordially  as  his  brother  soldier. 

Several  years  ago  I  attended  his  golden  wed 
ding  in  Des  Moines,  where  he  has  resided  for 
many  years  past ;  and  when  I  last  saw  him  there 
in  April,  1890,  he  was  the  picture  of  a  hearty, 
happy  and  noble  looking  man. 


A  TKIP  TO   HAVANA 

UPOIST  the  adjournment  of  Congress  March  4th, 
1850  [1851],  I  induced  Mr.  Clay,  who,  with  sev 
eral  other  Senators  and  Representatives  had 
been  invited,  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  the 
commander  of  the  " Georgia"  (then  one  of  the 
finest  warships  of  the  United  States)  David  B. 
Porter,  who  died  a  few  years  since  at  Washing 
ton  City  after  having  attained  the  rank  of  Rear 
Admiral,  for  gallant  and  efficient  service  in  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion.  We  sailed  from  New 
York  City  on  March  5th,  and  upon  our  arrival 
at  Havana  were  most  cordially  received  and 
entertained  by  the  Captain  General  of  Cuba. 
Our  stay  was  for  about  a  couple  of  days,  and 
was  rendered  charming  by  the  drives  we  took 
through  the  city,  not  only  in  the  daytime  but  at 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          279 

night,  when,  fortune  favoring  us,  the  moon  was 
at  its  full,  and  lent  an  additional  charm  to  the 
natural  beauties  of  that  now  unhappy  land. 
Not  only  was  our  sense  of  sight  delighted,  but 
we  were  regaled  by  the  delicious  fragrance  of 
the  flowering  shrubs  and  plants  which  every 
where  bloomed  luxuriantly.  Moro  Castle  was 
visited,  and  as  we  sailed  out  of  the  harbor,  we 
received  a  parting  salute  from  that  fortress. 

On  reaching  New  Orleans  Commander  Port 
er  gave  us  a  delightful  ball  and  supper,  to  which 
his  friends  and  ours  in  that  city  were  bidden, 
and  the  following  day  we  took  leave  of  our  hos 
pitable  host,  the  "Georgia"  returning  to  New 
York  and  our  party  separating  in  New  Orleans 
and  repairing  to  our  respective  homes,  in  the 
South  and  West.  In  my  care,  were  Mrs.  Ashley 
(widow  of  Gen.  Ashley  of  Missouri)  who  after 
wards  became  the  wife  of  Hon.  J.  J.  Crittenden 
of  Kentucky,  colleague  of  Hon.  Henry  Clay; 
Mrs.  Cox,  widow  of  the  late  cashier  of  the 
United  States  Bank  at  St.  Louis,  and  Mrs.  Scott, 
my  niece,  who  afterwards  married  Hon.  A.  G. 
Penn,  M.  C.  from  Louisiana.  Mrs.  Penn's 
little  daughter,  who  accompanied  her,  is  now 
the  wife  of  Capt.  Geo.  B.  Haycock,  retired, 
United  States  Marine  Corps,  and  residing  in 
Washington  City.  Another  of  the  Georgia's 
party  was  the  charming  Miss  Eeid,  daughter  of 
Sam.  C.  Eeid,  Commander  of  the  "Armstrong" 


280     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

which  sank  several  British  vessels  in  the  War 
of  1812  off  Fayal,  Azore  Islands.  She  married 
Hon.  John  Savage,  a  noted  Fenian,  and  a  ver 
satile  writer,  the  author  of  a  biography  of 
President  Lincoln.  Congress  passed  an  act  for 
the  benefit  of  Commander  Beid's  heirs  because 
of  his  valiant  services. 


JUDGE  LOVE 

IN  the  summer  of  1853  [1855], 16G  upon  the  death 
of  Hon.  J.  J.  Dyer,  United  States  District  Judge 
for  the  State  of  Iowa,  a  man  of  the  highest  in 
tegrity  and  unquestioned  ability,  esteemed  by 
all  who  knew  him,  I  recommended  to  my  good 
friend  President  Pierce  as  Judge  Dyer's  suc 
cessor,  Hon.  James  M.  Love  of  Keokuk.  The 
return  mail  brought  me  the  gratifying  intelli 
gence  of  the  desired  appointment.  The  pro 
found  wisdom  displayed  in  all  his  decisions 
placed  Judge  Love  high  in  the  estimation  of  his 
fellow  citizens  and  the  government;  and  his 
death,  a  few  years  since,  caused  the  sincerest 
grief.  He,  too,  did  me  the  honor  to  name  a  son 
for  me. 


DUBUQUE  ICE  HARBOR 

IN  the  summer  of  1853,  Col.  Long,  Engineer 
Corps,  U.  S.  A.,  came  here  to  inspect  the  harbor, 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          281 

for  which  I  had  got  an  appropriation  from  Con 
gress.  Capt.  Joshua  Barney,  a  retired  officer 
of  the  army,  was  in  charge  of  the  work.  My 
brother-in-law,  Charles  Gregoire,  tried  to  in 
duce  Col.  Long  to  change  the  plan  of  harbor 
which  had  been  determined  on  so  as  to  make 
what  is  now  the  ice  harbor.  Col.  Long  replied 
that  he  would  not  dare  to  change  the  plan  with 
out  the  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  Jefferson 
Davis,  but  added:  "Gen.  Jones  and  Mr.  Davis 
are  great  friends  and  he  can  get  Mr.  Davis' 
consent  to  the  change."  My  brother-in-law, 
Mr.  Gregoire,  being  President  of  the  Lower 
Harbor  Improvement  Company,  then  brought 
me  all  the  maps  and  plans  representing  the  then 
contemplated  improvement,  which  I  took  to 
Washington  the  following  session.  When  I 
broached  the  subject  to  Secretary  Davis  he  at 
once  agreed  to  my  suggestions  and  had  the  plans 
so  changed  as  to  make  what  is  now  known  as 
"the  ice  harbor". 


GENERAL  A.  C.  DODGERS  DEMOCRACY 

Ox  one  occasion  in  the  Senate  during  the  Com 
promise  debate  Gen.  Dodge,  my  colleague,  then 
sitting  by  his  father,  Gov.  Henry  Dodge,  Sena 
tor  from  Wisconsin,  said,  as  illustrating  his 
democratic  principles,  that  when  a  young  man 
he  blacked  the  boots  of  his  father's  guests  and 


282     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

fed  and  curried  their  horses.  As  he  was  con 
cluding  his  speech,  Hon.  Jesse  D.  Bright, 
Senator  from  Indiana  and  President  pro  tern  of 
the  Senate,  came  to  me  and  asked:  "Why  did 
you  let  your  colleague  make  such  a  speech  as 
that?"  " Because ",  I  replied,  "he  is  an  in 
grain  Democrat.  As  early  as  1827  I  knew  him 
and  his  elder  brother  with  his  father's  negroes 
to  have  cordelled  the  keel  boat  from  southeast 
Missouri,  below  St.  Louis,  up  the  Mississippi  to 
Galena  in  the  Lead  Mines,  and  I  overtook  him 
once  early  in  the  morning,  between  Dodge ville, 
Wisconsin,  and  Galena,  driving  two  ox-teams  of 
five  yoke  each,  to  wagons  loaded  with  lead.  I 
was  on  horseback,  and  sometime  before  I  came 
up  to  him  heard  him  cracking  his  whip  and  hal 
looing  to  his  oxen.  When  I  remonstrated  with 
him  for  not  making  Joseph,  his  negro-slave, 
drive  one  of  the  teams,  he  replied:  ' Joseph  is 
broken  down  driving  through  the  deep  snow.' 
On  the  top  of  the  wagon  was  their  bedding, 
blanket,  and  buffalo  robes.  An  hour  or  so  after 
reaching  Galena  I  went  down  to  the  store  of 
John  Atchison,  commission  merchant,  and  there 
I  found  Augustus  Dodge  cooking  his  breakfast. 
So  you  see  he  comes  honestly  by  his  democratic 
principles." 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          283 

GENERAL  HARNEY,  L.  V.  BOGY,  AND  STILSON 
HUTCHINS 

IN  the  spring  of  1864  I  went  to  St.  Louis,  having 
under  my  care  Miss  Sarah  Wells,  the  grand 
daughter  of  my  friend  Mrs.  Francis  S.  Wilson, 
who  was  about  to  visit  her  aunts,  Mrs.  Anil  and 
Mrs.  Luke  of  that  city.  At  East  St.  Louis  we 
were  met  by  young  Mr.  Anil,  who  took  us  in  his 
carriage  to  the  city,  leaving  me  at  the  residence 
of  my  friend  Col.  L.  V.  Bogy.  On  Miss  Wells' 
arrival  at  Mr.  Anil's  residence  she  there  met 
Gen.  Harney,  to  whom  she  mentioned  my  ar 
rival  at  Col.  Bogy's.  Gen.  Harney,  who  had 
been  an  old  friend  of  mine  —  that  is,  since  1825 
or  1826  —  returned  at  once  to  his  residence, 
across  the  street  from  Mr.  Anil's  in  Lucas 
Place,  ordered  his  carriage  and  baggage  wagon 
out  and  drove  to  Col.  Bogy's,  where  he  said  to 
Mrs.  Bogy  that  Gen.  Jones  had  sent  for  his  bag 
gage,  I  meantime  having  gone  down  to  Col. 
Bogy's  office. 

On  returning  with  the  Colonel  to  dinner,  Mrs. 
Bogy  told  me  of  Gen.  Harney  having  called  for 
my  baggage,  which,  of  course,  surprised  me,  as 
I  had  not  yet  seen  him.  After  dinner  I  set  out 
for  Gen.  Harney 's  house,  on  entering  which  he 
gave  me  a  cordial  welcome,  and  asked:  "Why 
do  you  come  without  your  baggage?"  "You 
rascal!"  I  exclaimed,  "Mrs.  Bogy  has  told  me 


284     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

of  your  seizure  of  it. ' '  Showing  me  to  my  room, 
he  said:  "This  is  the  room  occupied  by  our 
friend,  Gen.  Grant,  when  last  he  was  my  guest.'7 
I  had  a  delightful  visit  here  of  a  week  or  so. 

One  morning  when  making  my  toilet,  I 
dropped  a  cuff  -button  on  the  floor,  and  I  called 
to  Harney  to  come  in  and  help  me  to  find  it  with 
his  young  eyes.  As  we  were  unable  to  find  the 
button  he  went  to  his  room,  and  on  returning 
brought  me  a  pair  of  buttons,  valued  at  eighty 
dollars,  which  Colt  (of  revolver  fame)  had  given 
him,  he  thought  as  a  bribe,  to  induce  him  to  buy 
revolvers  from  him  for  his  command,  the  2nd 
Eegiment,  U.  S.  Dragoons,  and  so  he  would  not 
wear  them.  During  this  visit  I  frequently  met 
my  friend,  Stilson  Hutchins,  then  editor  of  the 
St.  Louis  Times.  He  had  been  my  tenant  when 
he  was  associated  with  the  firm  here  of  Ham  & 
Carver,  proprietors  of  the  Dubuque  Herald. 

When  Hutchins  made  up  his  mind  to  remove 
from  here  to  St.  Louis,  in  18 — ,  he  came  to  me 
for  letters  of  introduction  to  my  St.  Louis 
friends.  I  replied  that  it  was  not  worth  while 
as  he  would  not  stay  long  in  St.  Louis,  thinking, 
as  I  then  did,  that  he  was  fond  of  moving  about. 
Finally  I  said:  "I  will  give  you  a  letter  to  one 
of  the  most  talented  and  influential  lawyers 
there,  who  will  do  anything  for  you  that  you 
want. ' '  After  he  had  concluded  his  call  I  wrote 
to  that  lawyer,  Col.  Lewis  V.  Bogy,  telling  him 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  285 

that  he  would  shortly  receive  from  me  another 
letter  introducing  Stilson  Hutchins,  one  of  the 
most  talented  editors  in  the  United  States,  and 
as  fine  a  stump  speaker  as  there  was  in  the 
State  of  Iowa,  adding:  "Do  whatever  he  may 
ask  and  he  will  make  you  U.  S.  Senator,  what 
I  know  you  want  to  be. ' '  Hutchins  carried  the 
note  of  introduction,  and  on  presenting  it,  Col. 
Bogy  assured  him  of  his  pleasure  in  becoming 
acquainted  with  him.  They  became  warm 
friends,  and  through  the  influence  of  Hutchins, 
who  became  a  member  of  the  Legislature  for 
that  purpose,  Col.  Bogy  was  elected  United 
States  Senator.  In  the  course  of  a  year  or  more 
thereafter  Mr.  Hutchins  removed  to  Washing 
ton,  founded  the  Post,  which  became  the  leading 
political  paper,  and  became  rich.  Eventually  he 
sold  the  Post,  and  at  this  writing  is  about  to 
engage  in  another  newspaper  enterprise.  His 
great  ability  as  a  writer  and  his  well-known 
business  capacity  ensure  the  success  of  this 
undertaking. 

Col.  Bogy's  younger  brother,  Charles,  mar 
ried  the  amiable  daughter  of  my  old  friend 
Thomas  McKnight,  whose  first  wife  was  the 
sister  of  my  two  brothers-in-law  —  Hons.  John 
and  Andrew  Scott  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas, 
respectively.  His  widow  now  resides  in  Bon- 
ham,  Texas,  beloved  by  all  who  have  ever  had 
the  happiness  of  knowing  her. 


286  GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

JAMES  G.  ELAINE 

THE  next  time  I  met  the  Hon.  Jas.  G.  Blaine 
after  my  introduction  to  Mm  in  1850,  when  he 
was  a  Professor  in  the  Western  Military  Insti 
tute  of  Kentucky,  was  on  February  21,  1875, 
when  I  was  sent  as  a  special  delegate  by  the 
City  Council  of  Dubuque  to  Congress,  at  the 
suggestion  of  our  then  Eepresentative  in  Con 
gress,  Hon.  W.  G.  Donnan.  On  entering  the 
House  that  day,  Mr.  Donnan  gave  me  a  seat  by 
his  side,  some  thirty  feet  to  the  left  of  the 
Speaker's  chair.  After  a  conversation  of  up 
wards  of  an  hour  with  Mr.  Donnan,  as  I  walked 
across  the  hall  in  front  of  the  Speaker's  chair, 
to  confer  with  Hon.  Alex.  H.  Stephens  and  other 
old  friends,  with  whom  I  had  served  in  Con 
gress,  I  was  met  by  a  splendid  gentleman  who 
greeted  me  as  "Senator  Jones",  shaking  hands 
cordially  with  me  and  expressing  his  pleasure 
at  meeting  me.  I  replied  that  he  had  the  ad 
vantage  of  me,  as  I  did  not  recollect  him,  and 
simultaneously  many  members  of  the  House 
flocked  around  the  Speaker,  who  introduced  me 
to  them  as  "a  remarkable  old  gentleman",  ask 
ing  if  I  did  not  remember  him,  and  on  my  reply 
ing  that  I  had  no  recollection  of  having  met  him 
before,  he  replied:  "I  am  Speaker  Blaine." 
"Well,  Mr.  Speaker,  this  is  the  first  time  I  have 
ever  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you ! "  "Do  you 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          287 

not  recall ",  he  inquired,  "my  having  been  intro 
duced  to  you  in  1850  by  Mr.  Clay  at  Blue  Lick 
Springs,  Kentucky?  I  educated  your  sons 
Charles  and  William ".  "Well",  'l  replied, 
' '  you  played  the  D—  -  educating  them,  for  you 
made  two  of  them  Secessionists."  He  quickly 
replied :  "  I  did  not  intend  that. ' ' 

After  some  further  conversation  we  separ 
ated,  and  I  went  among  the  members,  lobbying 
for  my  bill,  which  I  did  daily  until  the  bill  was 
passed  and  sent  to  the  Senate,  whither  I  fol 
lowed  it  to  confer  with  our  Senators  Hon.  Wm. 
B.  Allison  and  Hon.  Geo.  G.  "Wright.  When  the 
bill  was  called  up  afterwards  on  that  day, 
March  3rd,  by  the  latter,  an  amendment  to  it 
was  proposed  by  the  Senator  from  Green  Bay, 
Wisconsin,  Mr.  Howe,  and  being  informed  by 
Senator  Wright  of  the  proposed  amendment,  I 
requested  him  to  introduce  me  to  the  Senator 
from  Wisconsin,  to  whom  I  said  that  his  amend 
ment  would  certainly  defeat  my  bill,  as  there 
was  not  time  left  in  which  to  send  it  to  the  House 
for  its  concurrence.  My  entreaties  were  un 
availing,  I  immediately  hastened  to  the  House, 
told  Hon.  J.  Allen  Barber,  Representative  from 
Grant  County,  Wisconsin,  of  the  amendment 
proposed  by  his  colleague  in  the  Senate,  and 
urged  him  to  get  Senator  Howe  to  withdraw  his 
amendment.  Senator  Howe  finally  withdrew 
his  amendment,  when  the  bill  was  passed  and 


288     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

sent  to  the  President,  General  Grant,  who  was 
then  with  his  Cabinet  at  the  Capitol. 

On  repairing  to  the  room  where  the  President 
and  Cabinet  were  assembled,  I  met  my  nephew, 
Gen.  Babcock,  Private  Secretary,  and  asked  him 
to  see  that  my  bill  was  approved  by  the  Presi 
dent.  He  shortly  returned,  saying  the  bill  had 
not  yet  reached  the  President,  whereupon  I 
rushed  back  to  the  House  and  acquainted 
Messrs.  Barber  and  Donnan  with  that  fact,  when 
they  had  the  bill  sent  at  once  to  the  President. 
I  returned  to  the  President 's  room  and  on  meet 
ing  Gen.  Belknap  at  the  door  I  requested  him  to 
see  if  the  President  had  signed  the  bill.  "  No  ", 
he  replied,  drawing  me  into  the  room  with  him. 
Selecting  the  bill  from  a  large  number  of  others, 
he  gave  it  to  President  Grant,  who  thereupon 
attached  his  signature,  when  the  bill  was  sent 
to  the  proper  House. 

At  that  session  of  Congress  I  was  the  guest  of 
Gen.  Babcock,  the  husband  of  my  grand-niece. 
Gen.  Belknap  was  an  old  friend  whom  I,  when  a 
Senator,  had  induced  to  settle  in  Iowa.  Ever 
since  which  time,  up  to  his  death,  we  were  warm 
personal  friends. 


MRS.  JEFFERSON  DA  VIS '  LOST  ALBUM 

I  WOULD  herewith  give  the  letter  of  my  dear  old 
friend,  Jefferson  Davis,  requesting  me  to  try  to 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          289 

get  the  album  of  his  wife,  which  a  friend  of  his 
at  or  near  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  had  written  him 
was  then  in  the  possession  of  a  man  named 
Moore  of  Independence,  Iowa,  were  it  not  that 
I  some  time  ago  sent  it  to  Mrs.  Davis  to  use  in 
her  forthcoming  biography  of  her  deceased 
husband.  As  soon  as  I  got  Mr.  Davis '  letter  I 
wrote  to  my  friend  Jamison,  attorney-at-law,  at 
Independence.  A  reply  brought  me  the  infor 
mation  that  Moore  had  removed  to  Waterloo; 
so  I  took  the  next  train  for  that  city,  and  when  I 
reached  there  I  had  my  cousin,  Thomas  Place, 
Master  Mechanic  of  the  Illinois  Central  R.  B., 
take  me  to  the  post  office.  The  post  master  in 
formed  me  that  Moore  had  removed  from  Wa 
terloo  to  Moore's  Mill,  in  Tama  County,  some 
twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  west ;  so  I  asked  my 
cousin  to  introduce  me  to  some  good  attorney, 
and  he  took  me  to  the  office  of  Boies,  Allen  & 
Couch,  to  whom  I  made  known  the  object  of  my 
call.  Allen,  the  president  of  a  bank,  was  not  in, 
but  Mr.  Boies,  whom  I  had  never  seen  before, 
introduced  me  to  his  young  partner,  Mr.  Couch, 
who  agreed  that  he  would  go  with  me  the  next 
morning  to  Tama  County.  After  early  break 
fast  with  cousin  Tom  and  family,  my  buggy, 
with  two  good  horses,  was  at  the  door  and  I  got 
in  and  drove  off.  Just  as  I  was  leaving  Mr. 
Place's,  he  handed  me  a  good  six  shooter,  say 
ing  :  '  *  Put  it  into  your  pocket. ' '  I  declined  do- 

19 


290     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

ing  so,  when  he  insisted,  saying:  "You  are  go 
ing  on  a  dangerous  expedition. ' '  Whereupon  I 
took  it,  placing  it  in  my  outside  pocket. 

It  had  rained  very  hard  all  the  night  before 
and  I  had  difficulty  in  keeping  my  horses  up,  as 
they  had  on  old  shoes,  so  I  would  drive  them  out 
upon  the  grass.  When  we  got  into  Tama,  we 
found  out  that  there  was  no  Justice  of  the  Peace 
at  Moore's  Mill,  so  we  stopped  at  a  Justice's,  a 
couple  of  miles  off,  where  my  attorney,  Couch, 
drew  up  a  writ  of  replevin  and  got  the  Justice 
to  appoint  his  young  son  as  constable  pro  tern. 
When  within  a  mile  or  so  of  the  Mill,  Mr.  Couch 
advised  me  to  go  alone  to  Moore's  house,  with 
my  temporary  Constable,  who  knew  the 
Moore's. 

On  our  entering  the  house  there  sat  a  burly, 
stout  old  man  on  one  side  of  the  dining  table 
with  a  younger  man,  his  wife  and  children 
on  the  other  side.  Addressing  the  older  man  I 
said:  "Mr.  Moore,  I  understand,  as  I  am  pass 
ing  through  your  County,  that  you  have  the 
album  of  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis,  wife  of  the  great 
Southern  rebel  President,  who  would  have  de 
stroyed  the  liberty  of  his  Country."  "No,  it  is 
my  son  over  there",  (turning  to  him),  "who  has 
it. "  "  Well,  Mr.  Moore,  I  would  like  to  buy  that 
album  if  you  will  sell  it,  as  I  understand  you  de 
sire  to  do."  "Well",  his  son  said,  "there  is 
such  an  album  in  this  neighborhood,  which  I 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          291 

think  you  can  get  for  forty  dollars. ' '  I  replied, 
t 'I  will  give  forty  dollars  for  it,  if  it  is  the  album 
that  I  want  and  is  in  good  condition. ' '  He  got 
up  from  the  table  and  went  into  an  adjoining 
room,  and  as  he  entered  it,  I  saw  him  beckon  to 
his  wife  through  the  crack  of  the  door  to  follow 
him,  which  she  did.  I  remarked  to  the  old  fel 
low:  "I  cannot  believe  that  the  album  of  Mrs. 
Davis  is  away  out  here."  "Yes,  it  is.  I  was 
present  when  my  son  took  it  out  of  Mrs.  Davis ' 
trunk  at  Fortress  Monroe.  She  and  her  hus 
band  were  there  prisoners  and  he  was  incarcer 
ated  there.  She,  with  her  children,  went  on  to 
New  York  in  the  Steamer.  I  knew  Mrs.  Davis ' 
family,  the  Howells,  well  in  New  Jersey'7,  the 
old  man  said. 

The  son  and  wife  reentered  the  room,  when 
with  his  two  hands  under  his  coat  tail  he  said, 
"You'll  pay  me  forty  dollars  for  the  album?" 
"Yes,  if  it  is  the  album,  which  I  know  well,  and 
it  is  in  good  condition  as  when  I  saw  it."  He 
brought  it  out  and  handed  it  to  me.  I  took  it, 
looked  through  it  and  said:  "It  is  very  much 
soiled  and  I  find  that  the  pictures  of  General 
Lee,  Stonewall  Jackson,  some  of  Mrs.  Davis' 
children,  and  my  own,  are  not  in  this  album." 
"You  see",  he  said,  "our  neighbors  have  looked 
over  the  album  and  soiled  it,  and  I  have  sold,  or 
given  away,  some  of  the  likenesses."  "It  is  not 
in  the  condition  that  it  was  when  I  first  saw  it", 


292     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

I  replied.  I  handed  it  to  the  young  constable 
and  said:  " Constable,  serve  your  writ  of  re 
plevin.  ' '  The  constable  read  the  writ  and  said : 
* '  I  replevin  this  album. ' '  The  old  man  said :  ' '  I 
thought  you  were  some  old  secesh"  -looking 
daggers  at  me.  Mrs.  Moore,  with  fury  in  her 
eye,  said:  "You  are  no  gentleman,  sir,  to  act 
so."  I  asked:  "How  would  you  like  to  have 
your  album  stolen  out  of  your  trunk,  and  the 
likenesses  of  your  little  children  and  friends 
taken  out  ? ' '  "  Let 's  go,  Mr.  Constable ' ',  I  then 
said;  and  we  left  the  house. 

I  got  into  the  buggy  and  we  drove  off,  and  to 
Mr.  Couch.  As  we  approached  him,  he  sang 
out:  "What  success,  General?"  I  held  out  the 
album  and  replied:  "Here  it  is,  and  I  would  not 
take  $1,000  for  it." 

He  asked  the  constable  if  he  had  given  Mr. 
Moore  a  copy  of  the  writ,  and  when  he  said 
"No,"  Mr.  Couch  said:  "He  must  have  a 
copy."  "Well,  I  will  go  back",  I  replied. 
"No",  continued  Mr.  Couch,  "I  will  go  back 
with  the  constable,  and  make  a  copy  and  have 
him  leave  it  with  Mr.  Moore.  It  won't  do  for 
you  to  go,  General,  and  it  will  make  no  odds  now 
if  they  do  know  me  as  a  lawyer,  etc."  They 
went  off,  stopped  at  the  post  office,  where  Mr. 
Couch  copied  the  writ,  and  then  drove  to  the 
house,  where  the  officer  delivered  the  copy. 

On  their  return,  Mr.  Couch  said:  "It  is  well 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  293 

that  you  did  not  come  with  us,  as  we  found  the 
house  full  of  furious  men  and  old  Moore  in  a 
terrible  rage.  They  would  have  torn  you  to 
pieces  if  you  had  accompanied  us,  General. 

Old  Moore  said  *I  saw  the  d d  old  secesh 

put  his  hand  on  his  six  shooter  in  his  outside 
coat  pocket  in  the  house'  —which  I  had,  in 
deed,  done. 

On  my  return  to  Waterloo  I  asked  the  attor 
neys  what  their  bill  was  for  that  day's  service. 
"Not.  a  cent,  General,  it  afforded  us  pleasure  to 
serve  you."  A  few  weeks  or  days  afterwards 
Mr.  Couch  gave  Moore  ten  dollars,  which  I  re 
paid  to  him,  and  so  the  suit  was  not  taken  into 
court. 

I  have  since  had  the  pleasure  twice  of  voting 
to  make  Couch  our  judge;  and  once  of  making 
Mr.  Boies  the  Governor  of  our  State.  The 
duties  of  both  offices  they  filled  with  honor 
and  distinction.  Davis  returned  me  thousands 
of  thanks  for  the  album,  which  I  sent  him  by  ex 
press,  and  the  ten  dollars,  which  I  did  not  want 
him  to  repay  me. 


MY  LAST  VISIT  TO  JEFFERSON  DAVIS 

THE  next  spring  I  went  South  to  visit  my  old 
friends,  Gen.  Jefferson  Davis,  Wm.  S.  Harney, 
and  their  dear  families.  I  telegraphed  Davis 
from  Arkansas  City  that  I  would  call  on  him  the 


294     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

next  morning.  And  so  I  would  have  done  but 
that  our  steamer  got  befogged.  We  got  into 
New  Orleans  too  late  for  the  morning  train  and 
I  had  to  stay  at  the  St.  Charles  Hotel  that  night. 
I  went  the  following  morning,  and  reaching  the 
depot  at  Beauvoir  I  was  directed  to  Davis' 
house  by  the  ticket  agent.  "You  must  be  Gen 
eral  Jones,  as  Mr.  Davis  came  here  for  you 
yesterday  morning."  I  walked  briskly  over  to 
the  Beauvoir  mansion,  where  my  ringing  of  the 
bell  brought  out  a  splendid  young  lady.  When 
she  told  me  that  she  was  Miss  Winnie  Davis  I 
took  her  into  my  arms  and  kissed  her  for  her 
father  and  mother  and  told  her  that  my  name 
was  Jones.  The  family  were  soon  in  the  parlor 
with  me  and  I  had  a  most  delightful  visit  of  sev 
eral  days,  at  the  close  of  which  Mrs.  Davis  drove 
me  over  and  left  me  at  the  hospitable  home  of 
my  other  old  Black  Hawk  War  friend,  Gen.  Wm. 
S.  Harney,  where  I  remained  a  few  days. 

Talking  with  my  old  friend,  Harney,  as  he  lay 
upon  his  lounge  after  dinner,  I  told  him  of  the 
newspaper  article  in  the  St.  Louis  Globe-Demo 
crat,  giving  an  account  of  Jefferson  Davis  being 
caught  cheating  at  cards  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
and  being  slapped  in  the  face  and  not  resenting 
it.  He  bolted  up  and  said :  * i  Slapped  Jefferson 
Davis?  Who  ever  slapped  Jefferson  Davis ?" 
I  replied:  "I  tried  to  get  the  editor  at  St.  Louis 
to  tell  me,  but  he  would  not."  He  then  said: 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          295 

"I  am  going  to  St.  Louis  next  fall  and  I  will 
make  him  give  the  name  of  the  author  to  me,  or 
I  will  cane  him  whilst  I  can  stand.  Jefferson 
Davis  never  played  for  money,  and  if  he  had, 
being  an  honorable  man,  he  would  never  have 
cheated.  He  and  I  were  like  brothers  and  he 
was  the  only  brother  officer  that  I  could  ever 
get  up  early  enough  in  the  winter  mornings, 
when  we  were  stationed  together  at  Fort  Win- 
nebago  and  Fort  Crawford,  Prairie  du  Chien, 
to  cross  the  Mississippi  and  hunt  for  foxes, 
wolves,  bears,  deer,  etc.  He  never,  never  failed 
me  in  any  way  and  was  the  soul  of  chivalry, 
honor  and  bravery,  etc. ' ' 

I  spent  a  week  or  so  with  dear  Harney,  re 
turned  to  Beauvoir,  and  after  another  sojourn 
there  left  my  old  friend  —  the  last  time  I  ever 
saw  him  alive.  On  the  3rd  of  December,  1889, 
when  I  called  with  my  son  George  to  see  my  old 
friend,  Mrs.  Gen.  Warner  Lewis,  Mrs.  Van  Pelt 
(her  daughter)  came  in  from  her  office  and  in 
formed  me  that  she  had  bad  news  for  me.  * l  Oh ! 
what  is  it?"  "The  evening  dispatches  an 
nounced  that  Jefferson  Davis  is  very  ill  in  New 
Orleans. "  "  Well ! ' '  I  said  at  once,  " I'll  go  off 
to-morrow  night  to  see  him,  if  possible,  once 
more  before  he  dies;  but  dead  or  alive,  to  see 
him  before  I  myself  shall  die."  So  I  took  the 
Illinois  Central  train  the  next  night  at  10:30 
o'clock  and  went  to  New  Orleans,  which  I 


296     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

reached  in  the  night,  a  few  hours  before  his 
death;  but  as  the  telegrams  had  announced  at 
the  various  depots  that  he  was  improving,  I  de 
ferred  calling  till  next  morning.  I  took  the  first 
street  car  for  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  where  I  got 
a  city  paper  announcing  that  a  chill  had  sud 
denly  taken  Mr.  Davis  off. 

As  soon  as  I  got  my  trunk,  I  dressed  myself 
and  put  off  for  the  residence  of  Justice  Fenner 
and  his  father-in-law,  J.  U.  Paine,  at  whose 
house  Davis  died,  to  look  upon  the  face  and 
form  of  my  departed  friend.  I  found  the  tail 
iron  gate  locked  with  the  emblem  of  death  upon 
it.  A  servant  girl  took  me  into  the  residence, 
and  I  sent  my  card  to  Mrs.  Davis  and  the 
family.  Soon  Mrs.  Justice  Fenner  met  me  and 
said:  "General  Jones,  Mrs.  Davis  has  declined 
to  see  any  one  to-day,  but  says  she  will  see 
you/'  and  she  led  me  to  the  parlor  door,  and  I 
walked  in.  There  sat  the  heartbroken,  newly 
made  widow,  bathed  in  tears,  by  the  side  of  her 
noble,  dead  husband,  who  looked  as  if  but 
asleep  and  much  better  than  when  I  last  had 
seen  him  at  Beauvoir,  about  six  years  before. 
When  I  got  up  to  leave,  Mrs.  Davis  said:  "Sit 
still.  I  want  to  talk  with  Jeff's  old  friend.  I 
want  you  to  write  me  when  you  get  back  home 
all  that  you  knew  of  him  in  your  college  boy, 
Black  Hawk,  Dubuque,  and  Congressional 
days." 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          297 

All  sorts  of  attentions  and  honors  were  paid 
to  me  by  the  friends  of  the  dead  hero,  who  were 
delighted  to  welcome  me,  the  only  man  from  the 
North  who  had  travelled  so  far  to  see  their  la 
mented  friend.  They  invited  me  to  all  their 
meetings  held  in  his  memory  and  made  me  first 
pall  bearer  by  the  side  of  the  Chief  Justice,  at 
whose  house  he  had  died.  I  have  witnessed, 
and  participated  as  a  Senator  in  Congress  in 
the  funerals  of  distinguished  men,  members  of 
the  two  Houses  of  Congress,  Chief  and  Asso 
ciate  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States,  American  and  Foreign  Minis 
ters,  etc.,  etc.,  but  I  never  saw  anything  to  be 
compared  to  the  magnificence  of  the  display  in 
honor  of  Jefferson  Davis'  memory.  Both  sides 
of  the  streets  and  avenues  were  crowded  with 
spectators,  from  the  starting  point  until  the  last 
sad  funeral  rites  were  performed  at  the  cem 
etery.  For  five  or  six  days  and  nights  the 
corpse  was  visited  by  the  immense  concourse  of 
his  grief  stricken  friends,  white  and  black,  quad 
roon  and  octoroon,  shedding  tears  of  regret  for 
their  lost,  but  never-to-be-forgotten,  "master 
and  friend  and  President." 


FUND  TO  RELEASE  MY  HOMESTEAD 

I  WAS  wholly  ignorant  of  the  movement  looking 
to  the  release  of  the  mortgage  on  my  homestead, 


298     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

or  incidents  relating  thereto,  until  I  received  the 
letter  of  the  Committee.  I  was  told,  however, 
that  my  old  and  dearly  beloved  friend,  Edward 
Langworthy,  when  he  heard  of  the  project,  sent 
a  note  to  the  Committee  enclosing  his  check  for 
one  hundred  dollars,  saying  in  his  note:  "I'll 
send  you  five  hundred  or  more  if  that  is  not 
enough. "  When  Messrs.  Graves  and  Eider  en 
tered  the  office  of  the  late  William  Eyan,  the 
pork-packer,  the  latter  said:  "Gentleman,  I 
have  no  more  money  to  give  for  any  purpose.'' 
(The  Committee  soliciting  funds  for  the  Grand 
Army  Eeunion,  then  being  held  in  this  city,  had 
been  calling  upon  him  for  contributions.)  Mr. 
Graves  replied:  "Answer  your  dispatch,  for  the 
messenger-boy  is  waiting  for  it,  and  then  we'll 
tell  you  what  we  want. ' '  After  the  boy  was  sent 
off,  Mr.  Graves  showed  the  subscription  paper 
to  Mr.  Eyan,  who  had  always  been  opposed  po 
litically  to  me,  and  who  after  reflecting  for  a 
few  moments  said:  "I  will  give  a  check  for  the 
whole  amount  needed,  $1900."  "No,  sir,  we 
won't  allow  you  to  do  that;  we  only  want  a 
small  sum."  He  put  it  down,  saying:  "The 
people  of  Iowa,  and  especially  of  Dubuque,  can 
never  liquidate  the  debt  due  by  them  to  General 
Jones." 

The  next  person  they  met  was  Archbishop 
Hennessy,  who  on  looking  at  the  paper  said: 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  299 

"Yes,  gentlemen,  I'll  give  you  any  amount  you 
say ;  General  Jones  is  entitled  to  every  possible 
favor  from  the  people  of  this  city  and  State." 
I  was  overwhelmed  with  surprise  and  grati 
tude  at  the  reception  of  the  letter  of  the  Com 
mittee  and  its  enclosures,  for  I  was  wholly 
insolvent  and  knew  not  how  to  redeem  my 
homestead,  which  had  been  sold  under  the  fore 
closure  of  the  mortgage ;  and  I  would  not  to-day 
have  a  dollar  of  money  but  for  the  generous, 
voluntary  contribution,  which  took  a  load  from 
my  shoulders  and  made  my  desponding  and 
idolized  wife  comfortable  and  happy.  We  had 
both  been  economical  and  industrious  all  our 
lives,  and  if  she  had  lived  nine  months  longer 
we  would  have  celebrated  our  diamond  wedding 
or  60th  anniversary  of  our  happy  union. 


GEXEEAL  DODGE'S  DEATH 

WHEX  Gen.  A.  C.  Dodge  died,  his  second  son, 
my  namesake,  Charles  Jones  Dodge,  tele 
graphed  me:  "Your  old  friend  and  colleague 
has  just  died."  I  took  the  first  train  for  Bur 
lington  and  was  made  first  pall  bearer  at  his, 
the  most  impressive  funeral  that  I  had  ever 
attended  in  Iowa,  Chief  Justice  Fuller  being 
also  one  of  the  pall  bearers.  On  Sunday  morn 
ing,  a  few  hours  before  he  died,  he  asked  his 


300     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

devoted  wife  if  she  thought  Eev.  Father  Lowry 
would  come  to  see  him.  She  sent  for  the  rev 
erend  friend,  who  at  once  came  to  the  dying  bed 
of  the  General,  when  the  General  asked  him  to 
baptize  him.  Eev.  Father  Lowry  soon  per 
formed  the  sacred  duty,  which  the  General  said 
he  had  long  deferred,  as,  in  his  heart,  he  had  for 
some  years  been  a  Catholic,  and  that  he  had 
regularly  all  his  married  life  attended  Mass 
with  his  wife  and  sons,  especially  at  Madrid,  in 
Spain,  where  he  learned  by  heart  the  morning 
and  evening  prayers  and  the  whole  of  the  Mass 
in  the  Spanish  language.  He  told  me  of  this 
fact  himself  after  his  return  home  from  Spain, 
and  that  he  was  the  first  English  speaking  min 
ister  who  had  ever  taken  leave  of  the  Crowned 
Head  of  the  Spanish  Government  in  the  Span 
ish  language. 

Gen.  Dodge  was  an  extraordinary  man.  He 
never  went  to  college,  save  about  nine  months 
-  to  the  country  college,  or  school,  of  his 
father-in-law,  Judge  Joseph  Hertich,  where  his 
wife  and  her  three  brothers,  Joseph,  Vilar  and 
Charles,  were  his  college,  or  schoolmates,  as 
well  as  the  Hon.  J.  D.  Jenkins,  who  accompanied 
him  on  his  run-away  marriage  trip  to  Kaskas- 
kia,  Illinois.  But  Judge  Hertich  was  a  highly 
educated  and  splendid  gentleman,  who  educated 
Gen.  L.  V.  Bogy,  late  United  States  Senator 
from  Missouri.  The  latter  told  me  that  he  con- 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS          301 

sidered  Judge  Herticli  one  of  the  most  learned 
men  that  he  had  ever  known.  I  knew  the  dear 
Judge  well  from  my  childhood  and  that  he  was 
highly  educated,  speaking  and  writing  perfectly 
the  German,  French,  Spanish  and  Latin  lan 
guages,  and  as  one  of  the  best  mathematicians 
I  ever  knew,  besides  being  an  accomplished 
gentleman  in  every  way.  He  was  so  considered 
by  my  father,  Judge  Jones,  Hon.  John  Scott, 
Dr.  Linn  of  Missouri,  Judge  Peck,  and  every 
gentleman  who  knew  him. 


PENSION 

NOVEMBER  1,  1892,  I  went  to  Washington  at  the 
request  of  my  grand-daughter,  Katherine 
Stribling  Jones,  to  give  her  in  marriage  to 
Clarence  Edward  Dawson. 

The  first  Monday  in  December  I  went  up  to 
the  Senate,  and  while  sitting  next  to  Senator 
Allison,  he  said:  "Turpie  is  a  great  admirer  of 
yours."  "Why",  said  I,  "who  is  Turpie?  I 
don 't  know  him. ' '  He  answered :  * '  The  Senator 
from  Indiana  ".  "  Which  is  he  1 "  I  asked.  And 
Senator  Allison  pointed  him  out  to  me  sitting 
opposite  to  us  on  the  Democratic  side  by  Sena 
tor  Jones  of  Arkansas.  "Well",  said  I,  "I'll 
go  over  and  introduce  myself  to  him."  I  did 
so,  and  he  asked  me  to  take  a  vacant  seat  by  his 
side,  and  we  conversed  for  some  time. 


302     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

The  next  day,  unknown  to  me,  he  presented, 
and  had  passed  unanimously  through  the  Sen 
ate,  a  bill  granting  me  a  pension  of  twenty  dol 
lars  a  month  for  my  services  as  a  drummer  boy 
at  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  in  Capt.  Wm. 
Linn's  Company,  in  the  war  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain  in  1812-1815,  and  as 
aid-de-camp  to  General  Henry  Dodge  in  the 
Black  Hawk  War  of  1832.  The  bill  was  then 
sent  over  to  the  House  and  referred  to  the  Com 
mittee  on  Pensions.  In  a  few  days  it  unan 
imously  passed  the  House. 

When  the  bill  went  back  to  the  Senate  from 
the  House,  I  was  then  sitting  by  the  side  of 
Senator  Palmer  of  Illinois,  on  the  Democratic 
side  of  the  House.  As  soon  as  it  reached  the 
Senate,  Senator  Sherman  of  Ohio  moved  that 
the  Senate  take  a  vote  upon  it,  when  it  was 
passed  again  unanimously.  The  Senator  from 
Wisconsin,  Mr.  Vilas,  crossed  over  from  his 
Eepublican  side  of  the  Senate  to  me  saying:  "I 
have  come  to  congratulate  you  upon  this  bill. 
It  is  a  great  honor  and  pleasure  to  me  to  vote 
for  the  bill  for  the  benefit  of  the  man  who  made 
my  State  a  Territory  on  the  4th  of  July,  1836, 
and  gave  it  its  name. "  Senator  Gorman  of 
Maryland  also  came  up  and  said :  "It  is  the  first 
opportunity  I  have  had  to  vote  for  a  bill  for  a 
man  to  whom  I  am  grateful  for  making  me  a 
page  of  the  House  in  1850."  A  great  many 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  303 

other  Senators  also  came  up  and  congratulated 
me. 

A  year  after  that  another  bill  was  unan 
imously  passed  by  Congress  directing  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  adjust  my  ac 
counts  as  late  Minister  of  the  United  States  to 
Bogota,  and  pay  me  what  was  found  to  be  due 
me.  That  bill  was  in  like  manner  unanimously 
passed  through  both  Houses  of  Congress.167 


NOTES     AND     REFERENCES 


20 


305 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES 

CHAPTER  I 

1  Much  information  concerning  John  Rice  Jones  is 
given  in  Dunn's  Indiana  (see  index),  also  in  Houck's 
A  History  of  Missouri  (see  index). 

2  Dunn's  Indiana,  p.  380. 

3  Houck's  A  History  of  Missouri,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  256, 
257. 

4  Houck  makes  the  statement  that  Jones  attended 
the   school   of   Judge   Hertich   at    Ste.    Genevieve. — 
Houck's  A  History  of  Missouri,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  68.     But 
this  is  probably  a  mistake.    Jones  himself  in  speaking 
of  the  death  of  A.  C.  Dodge  tells  of  Dodge  having  at 
tended   the   institution   and   speaks   of   knowing   the 
Judge  well  himself  from  his  childhood,  but  says  noth 
ing  of  being  a  pupil  at  the  school. —  Personal  Recol 
lections,  see  page  300  above. 

5  Mr.  C.  D.  Ham  in  an  obituary  of  Jones  states  that 
"when   Captain  Linn  was  commissioned  to  raise  a 
company  of  soldiers  young  Jones  was  the  drummer 
boy  who  marched  about  the  streets  in  that  service". — 
Annals  of  Iowa  (Third  Series),  Vol.  II,  p.  564. 

6  Letter  from  E.  A.  Turpin  to  Jones,  August  19, 
1823.     This  letter  and  a  number  of  others  from  col 
lege  mates  are  preserved  in  the  Correspondence  of 
George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.     This  collection  of  letters  and  papers, 

307 


308     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

bound  in  fourteen  large  volumes,  constitutes  a  valu 
able  body  of  source  material  upon  the  life  of  Jones 
and  his  contemporaries.  The  files  of  his  correspond 
ence  are  not,  however,  complete,  many  letters  having 
been  destroyed  before  the  collection  was  turned  over 
to  the  Historical  Department. 

7  Strong,  in  his  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wis 
consin,  states  that  Jones  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1826  (p.  235),  but  Jones  himself  in  no  case  has  been 
found  to  confirm  this  statement;  and  Lewis  F.  Linn, 
who  knew  Jones  very  intimately  at  this  time,  stated 
to  Martin  Van  Buren,  when  recommending  Jones  for 
the  Governorship  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  that  Jones 
had  ' '  read  law  for  some  time  simply  to  aid  him  in  the 
business  of  life". —  Letter  from  Lewis  F.   Linn  to 
Martin  Van  Buren,  June  8,  1838.    A  copy  of  this  let 
ter  is  preserved  in  the  library  of  The  State  Historical 
Society  of  Iowa,  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

8  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
p.  117. 

9  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
p.  118.    This  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  term  is 
also  given  in  Langworthy's  Early  Settlement  of  the 
West  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics, 
Vol.  VIII,  No.  3,  p.  361.    The  above  mentioned  sketch 
is  one  of  several  written  by  the  Langworthy  brothers. 
The  sketches  are  edited  by  John  Carl  Parish  in  the 
issue  of  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics 
above  referred  to.     They  give  considerable  informa 
tion  in  regard  to  the  early  history  of  the  Galena  lead 
mining  district,  in  which  the  Langworthy  brothers 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  309 

were  early  settlers.  They  also  portray  vividly  the 
habits  of  life  and  the  methods  of  mining  among  both 
Indians  and  whites  of  the  early  days. 

10  Letters  from  J.  Burgess  Thomas,  Jr.,  to  Jones, 
July  16,  1829,  and  April  30,  1830.—  Correspondence 
of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa. 

11  Autobiography,  p.  142  above. 

12  Letter  from  B.  Allen  to  Jones,  February  21,  1835, 
and  letter  from  C.  K.  Gardner,  Assistant  Postmaster 
General,  to  Jones,  March  11,  1835. —  Correspondence 
of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa. 

13  Salter's  Letters  of  Henry  Dodge  to  Gen.  George 
W.  Jones  in  the  Annals  of  Iowa  (Third  Series),  Vol. 
Ill,  No.  3,  p.  220.    This  series  of  letters,  begun  in  the 
issue  above  indicated,  is  continued  in  the  three  subse 
quent  issues  and  contains  many  facts  of  interest  and 
value  regarding  both  men. 

14  Pelzer's  Henry  Dodge,  p.  67. 

15  Dodge  was  made  Colonel  of  a  regiment  of  United 
States  Dragoons  in  March,  1833,  and  his  new  duties 
led  him  into  the  Southwest,  far  afield  from  the  Galena 
lead  mines.— Pelzer's  Henry  Dodge,  pp.  80-127,  212. 

1 G  Letters  from  Thomas  Legate  and  from  W.   H. 
Ashley  to  Jones,  January  10,  1834,  and  April  8,  1834. 
—  Correspondence  of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  His 
torical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

17  Letter  from  Lucius  Lyon  to  George  W.  Jones, 


310     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

July  6,  1834. —  Correspondence  of  George  W.  Jones 
in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

18  Thwaites's  Wisconsin,  pp.  232-235. 

19  Cooley's  Michigan,  p.  214. 

20  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
p.  192. 

CHAPTER  II 

21  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  24th  Congress, 
p.  3. 

22  Letter  from  Lucius  Lyon  to  Austin  E.  Wing,  De 
cember  27,  1835. —  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  XXVII,  p.  468.    In  this  volume  are 
printed  copies  of  letters  and  portions  of  letters  to  the 
number  of  several  hundred,  written  by  Lucius  Lyon 
between  the  years  of  1822  and  1845.     They  are  of 
great  value  in  illuminating  the  history  of  Michigan 
and  the  Northwest  during  those  years. 

23  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
pp.  193-195. 

24  Letter  from  Lucius  Lyon  to  John  S.  Homer,  No 
vember  30,  1835. —  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  XXVII,  pp.  463,  464. 

25  Interesting  bits  of  correspondence  passed  among 
the    various    parties  —  Jones,    Homer,    Woodbridge, 
etc., —  during  December.    Jones  wanted  his  certificate 
sent  as  soon  as  possible  and  in  case  of  contest,  a  certi 
fied  copy  of  the  returns ;  Woodbridge  clamored  for  his 
certificate  and  haunted  the  office  of  the  harassed  Sec 
retary,  while  even  the  former  Secretary,  Stevens  T. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  311 

Mason,  took  a  hand  in  the  game  by  writing  to  his  suc 
cessor  urging  that  a  certificate  be  withheld  until  the 
returns  for  Jones  were  in  from  the  west  side  of  the 
lake.  These  letters  are  printed  among  the  School- 
craft  Papers  in  the  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  XXXVII,  pp.  381,  382,  384,  385,  390- 
393,  395-397,  399-402,  405-407. 

20  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
p.  197. 

27  Letter  from  John  S.  Horner  to  George  W.  Jones, 
January   12,   1836. —  Correspondence   of   George   W. 
Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

28  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
p.  198. 

29  Letter  from  Lucius  Lyon  to  W.  L.  Newberry, 
February  21,  1836. —  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  XXVII,  p.  478. 

30  Letters  from  Lucius  Lyon  to  W.  L.  Newberry, 
February  21,  and  March  28,  1836. —  Michigan  Pioneer 
and  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XXVII,  pp.  478,  491. 

31  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  24th  Congress, 
p.  81. 

32  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  24th  Congress, 
p.  127. 

33  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  24th  Congress, 
p.  314. 

34  Autobiography,  pp.  103-110,  above. 

35  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
pp.  221,  222.     See  also  a  letter  from  H.  Crocker  to 


312     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

George  W.  Jones,  January  13,  1837. —  Correspondence 
of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  Henry  Dodge  was  also  accused  of  be 
ing  interested  in  the  town  of  Belmont. 

36  He  added  that  the  tract  embraced  about  1300 
acres  and  would  cost  about  $2000.    Letter  from  James 
D.  Doty  to  George  W.  Jones,  June  2,  1836.—  Cor 
respondence  of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  De 
partment,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

37  Letter  from  James  D.  Doty  to  George  W.  Jones, 
June  2,  1836. —  Correspondence  of  George  W.  Jones 
in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

38  Letter  from  James  D.  Doty  to  George  W.  Jones, 
December  24,  1836. —  Correspondence  of  George  W. 
Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
This  letter  is  by  mistake  bound  among  the  letters  of 
December,  1837.    On  the  back  of  the  letter  is  the  fol 
lowing  memorandum  by  Jones: — 

"Reed  Jany  17—1837  Ansd  Jan  19.  1837    Claimed 
right  to  2/24  of  Madison  tract  of  land  instead  of 
1/24  as  agreed  upon  before  I  knew  that  there  was  to 
be  a  town  laid  off  on  said  tract  — 
G  W  Jones." 

39  Letter  from  James  D.  Doty  to  George  "W.  Jones, 
February   7,   1837. —  Correspondence   of   George    W. 
Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

40  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  25th  Congress, 
pp.  394,  512. 

41  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  25th  Congress, 
p.  432.    Motion  of  Mr.  Mercer  of  Virginia. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  313 

42  An  excellent  summary  of  the  objections  raised  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  is  to  be  found  in  Sham- 
baugh's  History  of  the  Constitutions  of  Iowa,  pp.  97- 
104.     See  also  the  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session, 
25th  Congress,  pp.  428,  431,  432,  and  Appendix  to  the 
Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  25th  Congress,  pp. 
511,  514. 

43  Autobiography,  pp.   161,   162,   above.     See  also 
Langworthy's   The   Early  History   of  Dubuque,   re 
printed  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics, 
Vol.  VIII,  p.  393. 

44  C.  D.  Ham  in  an  obituary  notice  of  George  W. 
Jones  printed  in  a  Dubuque  newspaper  and  reprinted 
in  the  Annals  of  Iowa  (Third  Series),  Vol.  II,  No.  7, 
p.  563.     F.  B.  Wilkie  tells  of  an  occurrence  of  this 
nature  which  he  says  took  place  in  St.  Louis  in  1827. 
Jones  and  a  Lieutenant  Williams  of  the  United  States 
army  had  an  altercation  in  the  bar  room  of  a  hotel 
over  a  glass  of  lemonade.    Williams  challenged  Jones 
and  the  latter  accepted.    The  spot  selected  was  a  small 
island  in  the  Mississippi  River.     While  the  seconds 
were  arranging  the  preliminaries  upon  the  field  of 
combat,   considerable  time   elapsed  and   Jones  being 
somewhat    fatigued    lay    down    and    went    to    sleep. 
He    was   awakened    with   some    difficulty.      This   in 
cident    seems    to    have    affected    the    nerve    of    his 
opponent  so  that  he  apologized  and  withdrew  his  chal 
lenge  rather  than  continue  the  duel. —  Wilkie 's  George 
W.  Jones  in  the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  Ill,  No. 
2,  April,  1887,  pp.  449,  450.    This  biographical  sketch 
was  written  for  the  Chicago  Times  and  is  reprinted 


314     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

therefrom  with  little  if  any  change.  It  was  prepared 
by  Wilkie  after  an  interview  with  Jones  himself  and 
the  writer  also  shows  familiarity  with  the  manuscript 
of  parts  of  the  Autobiography  and  Personal  Recol 
lections  printed  in  this  volume. 

45  The  report  of  this  committee,  which  gives  a  de 
tailed  account  of  the  duel,  is  printed  in  the  Congres 
sional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  25th  Congress,  pp.  329-333. 

46  Copies  of  a  number  of  these  petitions  and  letters 
are  preserved  in  the  library  of  The  State  Historical 
Society  of  Iowa,  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

47  Letter  from  James  D.  Doty  to  George  W.  Jones, 
December  24,  1837. —  Correspondence  of  George  W. 
Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Homes,  Iowa. 

48  Strong's  History  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
pp.  270,  271. 

49  This  opinion  was  printed  and  copies  laid  upon 
the  desks  of  the  members  of  the  House  of  Represen 
tatives.     A  copy  of  the  opinion  is  preserved  in  the 
library  of  The  State  Historical  Society  of  Iowa,  Iowa 
City,  Iowa. 

50  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  363. 

51  This  report  is  printed  in  full  in  the  Congressional 
Globe,  3rd  Session,  25th  Congress,  p.  90 ;  see  also  p.  56. 

52  Congressional  Globe,  3rd  Session,  25th  Congress, 
pp.  95,  96. 

53  This  land  comprised  about  300  acres,  and  in  1837 
he  had  conveyed  to  Daniel  Webster  an  undivided  in 
terest  in  one-eighth  of  the  land  and  of  the   ferry. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  315 

Later  on,  the  attorney  of  Jones  asked  to  have  a  writ 
of  attachment  served  on  Webster  for  payment  for  this 
interest.  A  copy  of  the  agreement  under  Webster's 
signature  may  be  found  in  the  Correspondence  of 
George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  The  date  of  the  agreement  is  March  1, 
1837 ;  but  the  document  is  by  mistake  bound  with  the 
papers  for  March,  1857.  See  also  in  the  same  collec 
tion  letters  from  Francis  J.  Dunn  to  Jones,  May  15, 
and  June  1,  1843,  for  hints  of  trouble  between  the 
two  owners. 

54  Laws  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  1839-1840,  p.  139. 
In  1840,  he  seems  to  have  petitioned  the  legislature  for 
a  monopoly  of  the  ferry  privilege  at  Dubuque  and  an 
annulment   of   the   charter   of   Timothy   Fanning,    a 
statement  being  appended,  signed  by  ten  prominent 
citizens  of  Dubuque  to  the  effect  that  Fanning  had 
not  been  keeping  up  the  ferry  and  that  passengers 
must  be   transported  by   Jones   in  his   ferry. —  Cor 
respondence  of  George  W.  Jones  (1840)  in  the  His 
torical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa.     The  petition 
was  not  granted. 

55  Correspondence  of  George   W.  Jones    (January 
and  February,  1840)   in  the  Historical  Department, 
Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

56  A  copy  of  this  lease  under  date  of  March  16, 
1840,  is  to  be  found  in  the  Correspondence  of  George 
W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa.    The  consideration  was  $175  each  quarter  year. 

57  Letters  from  Elisha  Dwelle  to  George  W.  Jones, 
January  13,  1843,  and  from  Jefferson  Crawford  to 


316     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

George  W.  Jones,  January  22,  1843. —  Correspondence 
of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  See  also  Wilkie's  George  W.  Jones  in 
the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  2,  p.  440. 

58  Letter  from  Charles  Dunn  to  George  W.  Jones, 
October  4,  1843. —  Correspondence  of  George  W.  Jones 
in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

59  Rodolf ' s  Pioneering  in  the  Wisconsin  Lead  Re 
gion  in  Collections  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of 
Wisconsin,  Vol.  XV,  p.  381. 

60  Copy  of  letter  from  George  W.  Jones  to  James 
Clarke,  June  6,  1846. —  Correspondence  of  George  W. 
Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

61  Pelzer's  Augustus  Caesar  Dodge,  Ch.  IX;  Clark's 
History  of  the  Election  of   United  States  Senators 
from  Iowa,  Ch.  I;  and  Martin's  A  Bribery  Episode 
in  the  First  Election  of  United  States  Senators  in 
Iowa  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics, 
Vol.  VII,  No.  4,  pp.  483-502. 

CHAPTEE  III 

02  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  30th  Congress, 
p.  143. 

63  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress, 
pp.  1240,  1241. 

64  Journal  of  the  Senate,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress, 
pp.  409,  410. 

05  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress, 
p.  852. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  317 

66  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress, 
p.  1389.    One  of  these  resolutions  was  from  a  district 
convention  at  Davenport  met  to  nominate  a  Congress 
man.    The  other  was  from  the  State  Democratic  Con 
vention  called  together  to  nominate  a  Governor  and 
other  State  officials. 

67  Appendix  to  the  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session, 
31st  Congress,  p.  1716.    A  typographical  error  in  the 
Appendix  gives  the  date  as  July  19,  1850.    It  should 
be  July  16,  1850. 

68  Journal  of  the  Senate,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress, 
pp.  557,  561,  581,  637.     Only  four  members  of  the 
Senate  actually  voted  for  the  final  passage  of  all  the 
measures.     One  of  these  four  was  Senator  Augustus 
Caesar  Dodge  of  Iowa. 

69  Journal  of  the  Senate,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress, 
p.  561. 

70  Laws  of  Iowa,  1850-1851,  p.  244.    This  injunction 
is  especially  significant  because  the  only  part  of  the 
measure  which  could  be  conformed  to  or  carried  out 
by  the  individual  citizens  was  the  fugitive  slave  clause. 

71  Pelzer's  Augustus  Caesar  Dodge,  Ch.   XIII  on 
"The  Iowa  Land  Bill". 

72  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  32nd  Congress, 
p.  763. 

73  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  32nd  Congress, 
pp.  763-765.    Jones  states  that  he  and  Dodge  did  not 
receive  notice  of  this  memorial  until  long  after  the  bill 
was  reported.    This  is  strange  since  the  memorial  was 


318     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

approved  on  February  4,  1851,  more  than  a  year  pre 
vious.—  Laws  of  Iowa,  1850-1851,  pp.  264,  265. 

74  Appendix  to  the  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session, 
32nd  Congress,  p.  680. 

75  See  the  account  of  these  occurrences  by  Jones 
himself  in  his  Autobiography  in  the  present  volume, 
pp.  189-205.    See  also  the  Washington  Union  for  May 
29,  1852,  which  contains  a  card  from  Dodge  and  Jones 
denying  the  intimation  that  considerations  had  been 
given  for  their  support,  and  the  issue  of  the  same 
paper  for  June  10,  1852,  which  contains  a  letter  from 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  answer  to  the  matter.     Copies 
of  the  card  and  of  Douglas's  letter  are  to  be  found  in 
the  Correspondence  of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  His 
torical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

76  A  letter  from  W.  F.  Coolbaugh  to  George  W. 
Jones,  September  10,  1852,  urges  Jones  to  attend  a 
Democratic  mass  meeting  at  Burlington,  on  October  4, 
1852,  since  it  will  do  much  to  heal  the  breach  between 
Jones  and  the  Democracy  of  Des  Moines  County. — 
Correspondence  of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical 
Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

77  Burlington  Daily   Telegraph,  Vol.   II,  No.   155, 
December  8,  1852. 

78  Davenport  Democratic  Banner,  Vol.  V,  No.  8,  De 
cember  24,  1852. 

79  An  excellent  account  of  this  campaign  and  the 
election  is  found  in  Clark's  History  of  the  Election  of 
United  States  Senators  from  Iowa,  Ch.  III. 

80  The  debate  on  this  bill  in  the  Senate  is  found  in 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  319 

the  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  34th  Congress, 
pp.  1166-1172.  On  May  12,  1856,  Senator  Crittenden 
moved  a  reconsideration  of  the  bill  and  precipitated 
another  debate.  His  motion,  however,  was  lost. —  Con 
gressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  34th  Congress,  p.  1220. 

81  Letter  from  John  R.  Allen  to  George  W.  Jones, 
November  3,   1857. —  Correspondence  of   George   W. 
Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
This  letter  tells  of  an  attempt  at  Keokuk  to  make  can 
didates  for  the  General  Assembly  pledge  not  to  vote 
for  Jones  for  reelection  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

82  Clark's  History  of  the  Election  of  United  States 
Senators  from  Iowa,  Ch.  V. 

83  These  resolutions  are  printed  in  full  in  the  Con 
gressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  35th  Congress,  p.  566. 
For  some  reason  the  resolutions  do  not  appear  in  the 
Laws  of  Iowa  for  this  session  (1858). 

84  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  35th  Congress, 
p.  566. 

85  Senate  Reports,  1st  Session,  35th  Congress,  Vol.  I, 
Report  No.  82. 

80  For  the  newspaper  comments  and  the  letters  of 
Douglas  and  Jones,  see  the  Autobiography,  pp.  189- 
205,  above. 

CHAPTEE  IV 

87  A  good  description  of  Bogota  may  be  found  in 
Scruggs 's  The  Colombian  and  Venezuelan  Republics, 
Ch.  VI  and  following. 

88  Dawson's  The  South  American  Republics,  Part  II, 
pp.  460-462. 


320     GEOKGE  WALLACE  JONES 

89  See  the  Autobiography,  pp.  235-247,  above. 

90  The  Dubuque  Weekly  Herald,  Vol.  XXII,  No.  2, 
July  16,  1862,  contains  a  copy  of  the  letter  of  Jones  to 
Davis,  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  Jones  to  Mahoney  ex 
plaining  his  attitude,  and  an  editorial  comment  which 
to  a  certain  extent  endorses  the  defense  by  Jones. 

91  This  letter  is  printed  in  the  Burlington  Weekly 
Argus,  Vol.  I,  No.  8,  July  11,  1862.    The  editor  of  the 
paper,  though  strongly  Democratic  and  disposed  to  be 
friendly  toward  Jones,  will  not  have  him  as  a  Demo 
crat,  but  insists  that  he  has,  by  his  own  volition,  put 
himself  outside  the  pale  of  this  organization. 

92  See  above,  pp.  44,  45. 

93  Dubuque  Weekly  Herald,  Vol.  XXII,  No.  2,  July 
16, 1862. 

94  Burlington  Weekly  Argus,  Vol.  I,  No.  8,  July  11, 
1862. 

95  The  order  for  this  release  may  be  found  in  the 
New  York  Weekly  Tribune,  Vol.  XXI,  No.  1067,  Feb 
ruary  22,  1862.    The  notice  of  the  release  of  Jones  and 
other  prisoners  on  the  22nd  of  February  appears  in 
the  New  York  Weekly  Tribune,  Vol.  XXI,  No.  1068, 
March  1,  1862. 

96  Burlington  Weekly  Argus,  Vol.  I,  No.  1,  May  24, 
1862. 

97  Dubuque  Weekly  Herald,  Vol.  XXII,  No.  2,  July 
16,  1862. 

98  Dunn's  Indiana,  see  index  under  Jones. 

99  Dubuque  Weekly  Herald,  Vol.  XXII,  No.  2,  July 
16,  1862. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  321 

100  Congressional  Record,  1st   Session,   52nd   Con 
gress,  pp.  44,  4456,  4562,  4563. 

101  Pioneer  Laiv-Makers  Association  of  Iowa,  1892, 
p.  79. 

102  Annals  of  Iowa  (Third  Series),  Vol.  I,  No.  2,  p. 
154. 

103  House  Journal  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  25th  Gen 
eral  Assembly,  p.  822. 

104  Senate  Journal  of  the  State  of  loiva,  25th  Gen 
eral  Assembly,  pp.  766,  767. 

105  House  Journal  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  25th  Gen 
eral  Assembly,  p.  988. 

AUTOBIOGEAPHY 

100  This  friendship  between  Harrison  and  John  Rice 
Jones  came  to  an  abrupt  end  before  the  removal  of 
Jones  from  Vincennes. —  See  Dunn's  Indiana,  pp.  307, 
361.  Harrison  in  1828  became  Minister  to  Bogota, 
a  post  to  which  George  W.  Jones  himself  was  as 
signed  some  thirty  years  later. 

107  Snyder's  Forgotten  Statesmen  of  Illinois  in  Pub 
lication  No.  9  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Library, 
p.  515.    See  also  Dunn's  Indiana,  p.  376. 

108  It  seems  evident  that  Jones  is  mistaken  in  this 
date.     John  Rice  Jones  was  President  of  the  upper 
house  of  the  legislature  of  the  Territory  of  Indiana  in 
the  session  of  1808-1809;  and  after  the  close  of  the 
session,  in  1809,  he  removed  to  the  Territory  of  Illi 
nois,  moving  on  to  Ste.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  in  1810. 

-Dunn's  Indiana,  pp.  367,  368,  378,  380. 

21 


322     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

109  Under  an  act  of  Congress  providing  for  a  dona 
tion  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land  to  each  militiaman 
enrolled  and  doing  duty  in  the  Illinois  on  the  first 
day  of  August,  1790,  John  Rice  Jones  was  granted 
title  to  that  amount  of  land  within  the  district  of 
Kaskaskia. —  See    American    State    Papers,    Public 
Lands,  Vol.  II,  p.  170.     An  examination  of  the  rec 
ords  in  the  volume  named  shows  that  Jones  was  very 
active  in  the  acquisition  of  claims  from  the  original 
claimants. 

In  the  session  of  Congress  of  1850-1851  a  bill  passed 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States  confirming  a  claim 
made  by  the  heirs  of  John  Rice  Jones  to  3485  acres 
of  land.  The  bill  did  not  come  to  a  vote  in  the  House. 
—  See  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  31st  Con 
gress,  pp.  25,  26,  36. 

110  See  note  108,  above. 

111  Of  the  men  named  here  as  college  mates  and  also 
colleagues   of   Jones   in    Congress,    three    at   least  — 
Gates,  Tibbatts,  and  Peters  were  not  members  of  Con 
gress   during   any   of   the   sessions   in   which   Jones 
served. —  Cf.    Biographical    Congressional   Directory, 
1774  to  1903. 

112  John    Scott   served   Missouri   as   Delegate    and 
Representative  during  eleven  regular  sessions  of  Con 
gress. 

113  This  was  Lewis  F.  Linn,  who  served  afterwards 
for  many  years  as  United  States  Senator  from  Mis 
souri. 

114  It  is  possible  that  two-thirds  of  the  ferry  was 
sold  to  Webster,  but  it  is  not  probable.     Among  the 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  323 

papers  of  George  W.  Jones  is  a  copy  of  an  agreement 
between  Jones  and  Webster  whereby  Jones  conveyed 
to  "Webster  an  undivided  eighth  interest  in  the  ferry. 
The  date  of  this  agreement  was  March  1,  1837,  and 
the  consideration  $2,500. —  Correspondence  of  George 
W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa.  By  mistake  the  document  is  bound  with  the 
papers  bearing  date  of  1857. 

115  Among  other  properties  of  a  speculative  nature, 
Jones  owned  a  portion  of  the  town  site  of  Sioux  City, 
Iowa,  when  that  town  was  organized  in  the  fifties. 
Webster  was  no  longer  living  at  this  time. 

116  Jones  here  falls  into  error.     Edward  Bates  was 
offered  a  Cabinet  position  by  Fillmore,  but  he  de 
clined  the  honor. 

117  Here  again  the  memory  of  Jones  is  at  fault. 
The  reorganization  of  the  Cabinet  by  Fillmore  took 
place  in  the  summer  of  1850,  not  1849.    Nor  was  he 
the  only  Democratic  Senator  from  Iowa  at  that  time, 
since  A.  C.  Dodge  had  been  elected  upon  the  same  day 
as  Jones;   and  the  two  men,  both  Democrats,   took 
their  seats  together  and  served  together  until  Dodge 
was  supplanted  by  Harlan  in  1855. 

118  See  note  112  above. 

119  This  incident  is  interesting  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  Jones  gives  elsewhere  as  his  reason  for  seeking 
election  as  United   States   Senator  in  1848  that  he 
feared  removal  from  the  office  of  Surveyor  General 
when  President  Taylor  should  take  office  in  the  spring 
of  1849. 

120  See  note  112  above. 


324     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

121  A  copy  of  this  letter  may  be  found  in  the  Cor 
respondence  of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  De 
partment,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

122  On  October  4,  1843,  Dunn  wrote  to  Jones  an 
nouncing  that  Mr.  McSherry  had  died  the  day  before 
and  that,  as  promised,  he  was  sending  to  Jones  a  com 
mission  as  clerk.     Jones  was  probably  mistaken  in 
placing  the  time  as  the  fall  of  1842.    Dunn's  letter  is 
in  the  Correspondence  of  George  W.  Jones  in  the  His 
torical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

123  This  first  appointment  was  made  in  January, 
1840.    See  letters  from  Lewis  F.  Linn  to  Jones,  Janu 
ary  29,  and  January  31,  1840. —  Correspondence  of 
George  W.  Jones  in  the  Historical  Department,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa. 

124  Jones  evidently  has  in  mind  the  appointment  of 
Henry  Dodge  as  Major  of  Mounted  Rangers.     His 
commission  to  that  office  is  dated  June  22,  1832.     On 
March    4,    1833,    he    was    commissioned    Colonel    of 
United  States  Dragoons. —  Pelzer's  Henry  Dodge,  pp. 
67,  80. 

125  The  Territory  of  Michigan,  though  of  vast  ex 
tent,  did  not  include  all  the  land  here  ascribed  to  it 
by  Jones.     It  comprised  the  land  which  now  consti 
tutes  the  States  of  Michigan,  "Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Minne 
sota,  and  the  eastern  portions  of  the  States  of  North 
and  South  Dakota. —  See   Shambaugh  's  Maps  Illus 
trative  of  the  Boundary  History  of  Iowa  in  The  Iowa 
Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  II,  No.  3,  pp. 
369-380. 

120  This  is  a  mistake.     Jones  was  elected  Delegate 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  325 

from  the  Territory  of  Michigan  in  1835  and  Delegate 
from  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  in  1836.  In  1838  he 
was  defeated  for  reelection  by  James  D.  Doty. 

127  See  note  122  above. 

128  The  original  bill,  approved  July  2,  1836,  did  not 
make  grants  to  the  towns  but  provided  for  the  laying 
off  of  the  towns  in  tracts  not  to  exceed  one  section,  or 
640   acres,   in  extent.     The   preemption   rights   were 
limited  to  one  acre  for  each  person. —  United  States 
Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  V,  pp.  70,  71.    The  amendment 
was  passed  in  the  next  session  and  approved  March 
3,  1837.     It  provided  for  the  carrying  on  of  the  work 
by  a  board  of  commissioners  and  for  the  payment  of 
the  net  proceeds  to  the  individual  towns  for  public 
improvements. —  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol. 
V,  pp.  178,  179. 

129  According  to  Lucius  H.  Lang  worthy  —  pioneer 
settler  of  Dubuque  —  the  elder  Smith  was  killed  by 
Woodbury  Massey's  brother  before  the  incident  in 
volving  the  sister  occurred.     The  death  of  the  elder 
Smith  soon  brought  his  son  to  Dubuque  and  Louisa 
Massey  fired  upon  him  with  the  purpose  of  preventing 
his  taking  revenge  upon  her  brother.     Her  shot  did 
not  prove  fatal. —  See  Langworthy's  The  Early  His 
tory  of  Dubuque,  reprinted  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of 
History  and  Politics,  Vol.  VIII,  No.  3,  pp.  386-389. 

130  This  is  of  course   an  error.      Congress  has  no 
power  to  enact  a  law  of  this  nature  and  of  general 
application.     An  attempt  was  made  to  pass  a  law 
prohibiting  the  giving  or  accepting,  within  the  limits 
of  the  District  of  Columbia,  of  a  challenge  to  a  duel. 


326     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

This  was  within  the  power  of  Congress,  and  a  bill  for 
this  purpose  passed  the  Senate  on  April  9,  1838,  with 
only  one  dissenting  vote. —  Congressional  Globe,  2nd 
Session,  25th  Congress,  p.  292.  It  failed,  however,  to 
reach  a  vote  in  the  House. 

131  This  debate  took  place  February  12,  1838.    Wise 
was  the  most  active  participant.     John  Bell  did  not 
take  part  in  the  debate;  and  Bailie  Peyton,  although 
he  had  served  in  the  preceding  Congress,  was  not  at 
this  time  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

132  Jones,  in  relating  this  occurrence,  evidently  did 
not  consult  the  Congressional  Globe,  and  his  account 
is  therefore  inaccurate.     The  statement  by  Cilley  is 
reported  in  the  Globe  as  follows: 

"He  [Cilley]  knew  nothing  of  this  editor;  but  if  it 
was  the  same  editor  who  had  once  made  grave  charges 
against  an  institution  of  this  country  [the  United 
States  Bank],  and  afterwards  was  said  to  have  re 
ceived  facilities  to  the  amount  of  some  $52,000  from 
the  same  institution,  and  gave  it  his  hearty  support, 
he  did  not  think  that  his  charges  were  entitled  to 
much  credit  in  an  American  Congress. ' '-  —  Congres 
sional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  25th  Congress,  p.  173.  No 
evidence  appears  in  the  Globe  that  the  interrogatories 
mentioned  by  Jones  were  ever  put  by  Wise  and  others 
to  Cilley. 

133  A  brief  correspondence  followed  between  Graves 
and  Cilley  in  which  Graves  endeavored  to  have  Cil 
ley  answer  categorically  whether  or  not  he  had  re 
fused  to  receive  Webb 's  communication  on  the  ground 
of  any  personal  exception  to  him  (Webb)  as  a  gentle- 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  327 

man  or  a  man  of  honor.  This  Cilley  refused  to  do  and 
on  Friday,  February  23d,  the  challenge  was  given  by 
Graves  and  accepted  by  Cilley.  In  the  Congressional 
Globe,  2nd  Session,  25th  Congress,  pp.  329-333,  is 
printed  the  report  of  the  investigating  committee  of 
the  House  of  Representatives.  In  the  report  are  in 
cluded  copies  of  the  above  mentioned  correspondence, 
and  a  rather  detailed  description  of  the  duel  itself. 
The  committee  recommended  the  expulsion  of  Graves 
and  the  censuring  of  Wise  and  Jones.  There  was 
much  discussion,  but  no  definite  action  was  taken 
upon  the  report  and  resolutions. 

134  Jones  had  not  at  this  time  definitely  aligned 
himself  with  the  Democratic  party,  believing  that 
more  could  be  accomplished  for  his  constituents  by  a 
neutral  position  and  by  securing  favors  from  both 
parties. —  See  Langworthy's  The  Early  History  of 
Diibuque,  reprinted  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History 
and  Politics,  Vol.  VIII,  No.  3,  p.  393. 

335  See  note  134  above. 

isG  The  duel  was  not  postponed  to  the  following 
day.  In  the  letter  from  Jones  to  Wise  arranging 
matters  for  Mr.  Cilley,  he  proposed  twelve  o'clock 
noon  on  Saturday,  February  24.  It  was  found  im 
possible  to  get  ready  by  this  time  and  the  duel  was 
fought  shortly  after  three  o'clock  on  this  same  day, 
Saturday,  the  24th. —  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Ses 
sion,  25th  Congress,  p.  330. 

137  It  is  difficult  to  determine  just  how  much  in 
fluence  Clay  really  exerted  in  bringing  about  this 
duel.  If  he  was  implicated  in  any  way  by  those  who 


328     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

were  examined  before  the  investigating  committee,  no 
indication  of  it  appears  in  the  report  of  that  com 
mittee. 


las  The  meeting  to  which  Jones  probably  refers  was 
held  on  March  31,  1838.  A  resolution  was  passed 
asking  Congress  to  make  an  appropriation  for  the 
survey  of  the  '  '  first  permanent  link  in  the  great  chain 
of  direct  steam  communication  between  the  extreme 
east  and  the  far  west,  which  the  determined  spirit  of 
American  enterprise  has  decreed  shall  speedily  con 
nect  the  waters  of  our  two  opposite  oceans".  —  King's 
John  Plumb  e,  Originator  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  in 
the  Annals  of  Iowa  (Third  Series),  Vol.  VI,  No.  4,  pp. 
291,  292. 

Jones  is  recorded  as  presenting  on  May  21,  1838,  a 
petition  praying  '  '  for  the  survey  of  a  route  for  a  rail 
road  from  the  Mississippi  river,  at  Dubuque,  to  Mil- 
waukie,  Wisconsin  Territory".  And  for  this  purpose 
he  secured  an  appropriation  of  $2,000.  —  Congres 
sional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  25th  Congress,  pp.  394,  512. 

139  Jones  is  perhaps   confused  here  by   a   remem 
brance  of  an  appropriation  of  $10,000  granted  at  this 
same  session  of  Congress  for  the  construction  of  a 
road  between  Dubuque  and  Milwaukee.     The  appro 
priation  for  the  railroad  was  only  $2,000. 

140  There  was  no  motion  made  to  reconsider  the  vote 
by  which  Jones  was  declared  not  entitled  to  his  seat. 
Debate  occurred  over  the   question  of  pay   upon   a 
resolution   denying   him   the   right   to   compensation. 
At  the  close  of  the  debate  the  resolution  was  defeated 
by  a  vote  of  89  to  96. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  329 

141  This  appointment  was  made  in  January,  1840. 

142  Copies  of  several  of  these  letters  and  petitions 
were  appended  by  Jones,  together  with  other  miscel 
laneous  papers,  to  the  manuscript  of  his  Autobiogra 
phy    and    Personal    Recollections.      In    editing    the 
manuscript  it  was  thought  best  not  to  include  them  in 
the  present  volume.     Copies  of  these  papers  are  pre 
served  in  the  library  of  The  State  Historical  Society 
of  Iowa  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  and  may  be  consulted 
there. 

143  This  is  a  curious  statement  from  Jones  inasmuch 
as  he  was  flooded  with  petitions  of  all  kinds   and 
seemed  always  anxious,  wherever  possible,  to  act  upon 
the  suggestions  of  his  constituents. 

144  This  joint  convention  occurred  on  December  18, 
1846.     The  vote  stood  twenty-nine  for  Jonathan  Mc- 
Carty,  twenty-eight  for  Thomas  S.  Wilson,  and  one 
for  Gilbert  C.  R,  Mitchell.    Thus  McCarty  came  with 
in  one  vote  and  Wilson  within  two  votes  of  being 
elected.      No    election    occurred    at    this    session. — 
Clark's  History  of  the  Election  of  United  States  Sen 
ators  from  Iowa,  Ch.  I. 

145  The  article  referred  to  is  one  by  Hawkins  Tay 
lor  entitled  The  First  Territorial  Legislature  of  Iowa, 
printed  in  the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  VI,  No.  3, 
pp.  516-522,  July,  1890.     In  the  course  of  the  article 
he  digresses  to  give  some  particulars  regarding  the 
first  election  of  United  States  Senators  from  Iowa. 

i4G  This  statement  is  hardly  in  keeping  with  the  fact 
that  John  Rice  Jones,  the  father  of  George  W.  Jones, 
was  a  strong  candidate  against  Benton  for  the  United 


330     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

States  Senator  ship  from  Missouri  at  the  first  election 
in  that  State.    See  above  p.  78. 

147  No  such  motion  is  recorded  in  the  Congressional 
Globe. 


148  The  yjce  President  was  absent  upon  the  day  on 
which  Jones  and  Dodge  were  sworn  in  and  David  R. 
Atchison,  President  pro  tern  of  the  Senate,  was  in  the 
chair.  —  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  30th  Con 
gress,  p.  96. 

149  Jones  served  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Pensions  from  1849  to  1859,  as  Chairman  of  the  Com 
mittee  on  Engrossed  Bills  from  1849  to  1851,  and  as 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Enrolled  Bills  from 
1851  to  1859.     If,  by  the  "California  Special  Com 
mittee  of  1850",  he  means  the  Select  Committee  of 
Thirteen  which  was  appointed  with  Clay  as  Chairman 
to  adjust  the  measures  of  compromise,  he  is  mistaken 
as  to  his  membership.    He  was  not  a  member  nor  did 
he  receive  a  vote  in  the  course  of  the  election  of  the 
members  of  the  Committee.  —  Congressional  Globe,  1st 
Session,  31st  Congress,  p.  780. 

150  This  must  have  been  in  1859  as  the  further  con 
text  shows,  since  it  was  in  the  spring  of  that  year 
that  Aaron  V.   Brown  died  and  was  succeeded  by 
Joseph  Holt  of  Tennessee  as  Postmaster  General.     It 
was  asserted  in  several  Iowa  newspapers  at  the  time 
that  Jones  was  desirous  of  being  appointed  to  succeed 
Brown.  —  The  Iowa  Citizen   (Des  Moines),  Vol.  IV, 
No.  5,  March  16,  1859. 

151  This  amendment  was  presented  and  adopted  in 
the  Senate  on  April  29,  1850. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  331 

152  This  was  Edward  D.  Baker,  a  Whig  Represen 
tative  from  Illinois. 

153  The   debate   occurred   on   May   28,    1852.      Mr. 
Campbell  made  the  remark:  "By  the  urgent  request 
of  at  least  one  of  her  [Iowa's]   Senators,  who  moved 
the  amendment  himself,  the  road  was  extended  from 
Galena,  its  legal,  just,  and  commercial  terminus,  to 
Dubuque,  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  which,  considering  the 
injury  it  inflicted  upon  Galena,  was  in  every  way  an 
equivalent    and   full   consideration    for   the    support 
which  the  measure  received  from  the  State  of  Iowa." 
—  Appendix  to  the  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session, 
32nd  Congress,  p.  680. 

154  The  editorials  and  correspondence  which  follow 
in  ten  point  type  are  taken  from  The  Fort  Dodge 
Sentinel,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  6,  January  15,  1859.    The  copy 
left  by  Jones  has  been  compared  with  the  original  and 
made  to  conform  to  it  in  the  few  particulars  in  which 
it  differed. 

155  William   A.    Richardson   was   a   Representative 
from  Illinois  from  December  6,  1847,  to  August  25, 
1856,  wiien  he  resigned.     He  was  not  a  member  of 
Congress  in  1858,  as  Jones  implies. 

156  The  Iowa  Citizen  (Des  Moines),  for  April  13, 
1859,  announces  the  acceptance  of  the  post  at  Bogota 
by  Jones. 

157  The  term  bungo  was  applied  to  the  large  canoes 
used    for    transportation    on    the    Magdalena    River. 
They  were  usually  provided  with  oval  roofs  of  bam 
boo  and  thatch.     They  were  propelled  by  poles  and 
paddles  and  sometimes  hauled  up  through  the  rapids 


332     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

by  ropes  and  windlasses. —  Scruggs 's  The  Colombian 
and  Venezuelan  Republics,  p.  45. 

IDS  The  remarks  of  Senator  Jones  are  recorded  in  the 
Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  32nd  Congress,  p. 
1636.  In  this  tribute  he  speaks  of  his  early  association 
with  Clay  while  a  student  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
under  Clay's  sponsorship.  He  dwells  upon  Clay's 
services  in  connection  with  the  Compromise  measures 
of  1850.  He  also  gives  his  impressions  of  Clay  upon 
the  occasion  of  a  visit  by  Jones  to  Ashland  soon  after 
the  Compromise,  and  later  when  he  accompanied  Clay 
upon  a  trip  to  Havana,  Cuba.  Jones  tells  of  this  trip 
on  page  278  of  this  volume.  He  was  made  a  member 
of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements  at  the  time  of  the 
exercises  in  the  Senate  upon  the  death  of  Clay. — 
Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  32nd  Congress,  p. 
1637. 

159  Jones  is  somewhat  confused  in  his  memory  of 
these  events.  The  veto  of  the  bill  to  re-charter  the 
United  States  Bank  took  place  as  early  as  1832,  while 
Jackson  did  not  succeed  in  accomplishing  the  removal 
of  the  deposits,  through  Secretary  Taney,  until  late  in 
1833. 

ice  This  visit  from  Jefferson  Davis  was  in  the  early 
part  of  1837.  Davis 's  wife  died  in  September,  1836, 
and  Davis,  himself  recovering  from  a  serious  illness, 
made  a  trip  to  Cuba  for  recuperation.  He  returned 
by  way  of  Washington  where  the  Tiber  incident  oc 
curred. —  Dodd's  Jefferson  Davis,  pp.  43-47. 

161  No  such  remark  as  is  here  quoted  appears  in  the 
speech  of  Foote  which  was  the  immediate  cause  of  the 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  333 

incident. —  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  31st  Con 
gress,  p.  762. 

iG2  The  scene  in  the  Senate  Chamber  occurred  on 
April  17,  1850,  in  the  course  of  a  speech  by  Foote 
attacking  Benton.  It  was  one  of  a  number  of  speeches 
by  the  same  Senator,  containing  abusive  remarks  and 
allusions.  Perhaps  the  most  bitter  of  these  outbursts 
took  place  on  March  26,  1850. —  Congressional  Globe, 
1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  pp.  602,  603,  762. 

103  It  is  difficult  to  tell  just  what  Jones  means  by 
these  statements.    Neither  Sheldon  nor  McKnight  ap 
pear  to  have  held  the  office  of  Delegate  from  the  Ter 
ritory  of  Michigan,  and  the  year  1835  was  the  year  in 
which  Jones  himself  was  elected  to  that  office,  having 
as  his  opposing  candidates  the  three  men  mentioned: 
Woodbridge,   Doty,   and  Martin.     In  the  year   1834 
Sheldon  was  appointed  to  a  newly  created  land  office 
in  the  lead  mining  region  —  a  post  for  which  Jones 
was  a  candidate. —  See  above,  pp.  11,  12. 

104  Henry  Clay  Dean  was  chosen  Chaplain  of  the 
United   States   Senate   on   December   4,   1855. —  Con 
gressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  34th  Congress,  p.  4.    The 
friendship  of  George  W.  Jones  and  Henry  Clay  Dean 
is  interesting  in  view  of  the  antipodal  ideas  which 
they  held  in  regard  to  personal  appearance.     Jones 
was  scrupulously  well  groomed  and  fastidious  in  his 
dress  to  the  utmost  degree,  while  Dean  in  matters  of 
this  nature  went  to  the  very  opposite  extreme. 

1Gr>  If  Dean  received  the  congratulations  indicated 
the  sermon  must  have  been  preached  some  years  be 
fore  his  appointment  as  chaplain.  His  appointment 


334     GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 

was  in  December,  1855,  at  which  time  over  half  of  the 
persons  mentioned  by  Jones  as  congratulating  him 
had  been  dead  several  years. 

166  James  M.  Love  was  in  the  State  Senate  of  Iowa 
from  1852  to  1854.  He  became  Judge  in  1855.—  See 
article  on  Judge  James  M.  Love  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  VIII,  No.  2,  April,  1892,  pp.  241-250. 

iG7  jn  recounting  the  history  of  these  two  bills  Jones 
has  confused  them.  The  bill  granting  him  a  pension 
was  introduced  by  Senator  Allison  on  December  14, 
1891,  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Pensions.  It 
was  reported  favorably  from  this  Committee  by  Sen 
ator  Turpie  on  May  20,  1892,  and  passed  the  Senate. 
Three  days  later  it  passed  the  House. —  Congressional 
Record,  1st  Session,  52nd  Congress,  pp.  44,  4456,  4563. 

The  bill  for  the  adjustment  of  his  accounts  as  Min 
ister  to  Bogota  was  introduced  in  the  House  by  Repre 
sentative  Henderson  of  Dubuque,  Iowa.  In  the  Sen 
ate  on  February  23,  1893,  Senator  Sherman  moved 
that  unanimous  consent  be  given  to  the  consideration 
of  this  House  bill  and  in  explaining  the  bill  men 
tioned  the  fact  that  Jones  was  at  that  time  present  in 
the  Senate  Chamber. —  Congressional  Record,  2nd 
Session,  52nd  Congress,  pp.  126,  2041. 


INDEX 


335 


INDEX 


Abolition  Party,  opposition  of  Jones 
to,  64 

Abolitionism,  attitude  of  Jones  to 
ward,  61,  62,  127,  188 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  99,  101,  102; 
friendship  of  Jones  and,  187;  re 
ply  of,  to  Benton,  271 

Aid-de-camp,  appointment  of  Jones 
as,  118 

Alabama,    197 

Aldrich.  Charles,  statement  concern 
ing  Jones  by,  68 

Alexis    (servant),    143 

Alleghany  River,    146 

Allen,  Beverly,   85,   89 

Allen,  William,   131,  262,  266,  267 

Allen,  Mr.,  289 

Allison,  Colonel,  sale  of  land  to  rail 
road  negotiated  by,  210-215 

Allison,  William  B.,  287,  302 

Alta  Vista,  276 

Amoureaux,   Mr.,   90 

Anderson,  Alexander  D.,  appoint 
ment  of,  as  Register,  186 

Andes,  crossing  of,  by  Jones,   58 

Andrews,   Landaff  W.,   84 

Anil,  Mr.,  283 

Anil,  Mrs.,  283 

Anti-dueling  Law,   157 

Antioquia,   231 

Appleton,    John,    221,    222 

Arangurin,  passport  for,  227,  228; 
capture  of,  228;  intercession  for, 
by  Jones,  228,  229;  reference  to, 
231 

Arkansas,    136 

Arkansas,  Territory  of,  Justice  of 
Supreme  Court  of,  80 

Arkansas    City,    293 

Ashley,   William   H.,    279 

Ashley,   Mrs.  William  H.,   279 

Aspinwall,  223,  226 

Astor  House   (New  York  City),   141 

Atchison,   David  R.,    6,    36,   83,   330 

Atchison,  John,  store  kept  by,   282 

Atkinson,  Henry,  118,  149,  150; 
order  to  Dodge  from,  119,  121, 
148;  gratitude  of,  to  Dodge,  150 

Atkinson,  Mrs.  Henry,  275;  second 
marriage  of,  276 

Auber,  Mr.,  killing  of,  by  Indians, 
119 

Austin    (Illinois),   80 

22 


Babcock,    Orville  E.,    288 

Baker,  Edward  D.,  objection  of,  to 
amendment,  190;  reference  to, 
195,  198,  199,  331 

Baldwin,    Henry,    173 

Ball,   Mr.,   murder  of,    89 

Baltimore  (Maryland),  102,  163, 
177;  convention  at,  177 

Bancroft,   George,  241 

Bank  of  United  States,  dealing  of 
Webster  with,  96,  97,  99;  bribe 
to  Webb  for  advocacy  of  re-char 
ter  of,  158 ;  question  of  re-char 
tering,  263 ;  veto  of  bill  to  re- 
charter,  332 

Barber,  J.  Allen,  287,   288 

Barger,  Mary,  birth  of,  75;  mar 
riage  of,  75 

Barnes,  Mr.,  death  of,   146 

Barnes,  Mrs.,  143 ;  marriage  of 
Hempstead  and,  146 

Barney,  Joshua,  281 

Barnum's  Hotel   (Baltimore),  265 

Barry,  William  T.,  6,  76,  78,  82; 
Jones  as  ward  of,  83 

Barton,   Joshua,    170 

Basil    (servant),   143 

Bass,  John  M.,   84 

Bates,  Edward,  97,  323;  cabinet 
position  held  by,  97;  defeat  of 
Scott  by,  101,  102 

Beauvoir    (Louisiana),   294,   296 

Bedford  Springs  (Pennsylvania), 
176 

Belknap,  William  W.,  288 

Bell,  John,  arraignment  of  Van 
Buren  by,  157;  reference  to,  158 

Bellevue,  151 

Belmont  (Wisconsin),  meeting  of 
citizens  at,  20;  contest  between 
Mineral  Point  and,  20 ;  meeting 
of  legislature  at,20;  reference  to, 
22;  interest  of  Dodge  in,  312 

Bennett's  Hotel   (Galena),  138 

Benton,  Thomas  Hart,  36,  78,  102, 
129,  131,  160,  178,  262,  266, 
277,  329,  333;  county  named  for, 
101;  advice  to  Jones  by,  169, 
170;  Jones  recommended  by, 
175;  Jones  and  Dodge  greeted 
by,  182,  183 ;  reminiscences  of, 
by  Jones,  270-273 

Bequette,   Paschal,   120 

337 


338 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


Best,  Mrs.,  boarding  house  of,  268 

Riddle,  Nicholas,  97,  99 

Biddle,  Richard,   173 

Bisch,   Mr.,    90 

Black  Hawk,  reappearance  of,  east 
of  Mississippi,  10 ;  humiliation  of, 
11;  anger  of,  at  St.  Vrain,  118; 
efforts  to  prevent  war  with,  118 ; 
reference  to,  121,  148,  149;  de 
feat  of,  150 

Black  Hawk  War,  service  of  Jones 
in,  11,  148-150;  reference  to,  68, 
99,  100,  106,  111,  124,  139,  256, 
270,  275,  294,  296,  302;  experi 
ences  of  Jones  during,  115-122 

Bladensburg   (Pennsylvania),  263 

Blaine,  James  G.,  227,  260;  recol 
lections  of,  by  Jones,  286-288 

Blair,  Francis  P.,  82,  163,  165, 
238;  partner  of,  164 

Blair,  Francis  P.,  Jr.,  238 

Blair,  Montgomery,  238 

Bledsoe,  Jesse,  76 

Block  House,  building  of,  by  Jones, 
115 

Blue  Lick  Springs  (Kentucky), 
Charles  Jones  in  school  at,  227; 
reference  to,  259,  287 

Boat  Yard  Hollow,  92 

Bodley,  Thomas,   7 

Bogota,  Jones  appointed  minister  to, 
56,  57,  216;  description  of,  58; 
service  of  Jones  at,  58-60,  175, 
224-232;  removal  of  Jones  as 
Minister  to,  60 ;  reference  to,  65 ; 
journey  of  Jones  to,  209,  223, 
224;  refusal  of  Jones  to  accept 
appointment  to,  216-219;  accept 
ance  of  appointment  to,  by  Jones, 
219,  220;  plan  of  Mosquera  to 
capture,  226;  capture  of,  by  Mos 
quera,  230;  attempt  to  raise  army 
to  defend,  231;  adjusting  of  ac 
counts  of  Jones  as  Minister  to, 
302,  303 

Bogy,  Charles,  engagement  of  Clara 
Hertich  to,  132;  reference  to, 
133,  134;  marriage  of,  285 

Bogy,  Joseph,  90,  132,  136 

Bogy,  L.  V.,  90,  132,  149,  271, 
300;  recollections  of,  by  Jones, 
283-285 

Bogy,  Mrs.  L.  V.,  283 

Boies,  Horace,  289,  293 

Bond,  Shadrack,  Bice  Jones  chal 
lenged  to  duel  by,  79 

Bond,   William  K.,    173 

Bonham    (Texas),   285 

Bonito,   Charles,   227 

Booth.  Caleb  H.,   100 

Bossier,  Carmelite,  93,   142 


Bowlin,  James  Butler,  219 

Boyd,    Linn,    177 

Bracken,  Charles,  relations  between 
Jones  and,  125 

Brady,   Eliza,  marriage  of,   143,   144 

Brady,  Mary,  marriage  of,   143,   144 

Brady,  Thomas,  marriage  of,  80, 
81,  251 

Brady,  Mrs.  Thomas,  second  mar 
riage  of,  81 

Brecknockshire    (Wales),   75 

Brecon   (Wales),   75 

Breese,    Sidney,    149 

Bright,   Jesse  D.,    83,    140,   282 

Brown,  Aaron  V.,  188  ;  death  of,  330 

Brown,  Henry  H.,  letter  to  Jones 
from,  16 

Brown   County   (Wisconsin),   13 

Brown's  Hotel  (Washington),  184, 
266 

Brussels,   Minister  to,    145 

Buchanan,  James,  26,  30,  55,  102, 
111,  178,  205,  210,  222,  226, 
275;  friendliness  of,  to  South, 
51;  support  of,  by  Jones,  51; 
Jones  appointed  Minister  by,  56, 
57,  216;  county  named  for,  101; 
Frazer's  appointment  urged  by, 
108,  109;  Jones  recommended  by, 
175 ;  friendship  between  Jones 
and,  176,  177,  187;  appointments 
by,  185,  186:  Jones  favored  for 
Cabinet  position  by,  188 ;  con 
versation  between  Jones  and,  202, 
203 ;  influence  of  Jones  with, 
206,  207;  aid  for  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  secured  from,  208,  209; 
refusal  of  Jones  to  accept  ap 
pointment  of,  217-219 

Buffalo,    265 

Bullitt,   Alexander,   275 

Bnllitt,  Lou,  recollections  of,  by 
Jones,  275,  276 

Bnngo,  description  of,   331,  332 

Burke,  John,   245 

Burlington,  proposal  for  railroad 
to,  42;  reference  to,  43,  44,  151, 
184;  bill  for  railroad  west  from, 
48 ;  act  establishing  land  office  at, 
129 ;  organization  of  land  office 
at,  138;  public  meeting  at,  175; 
Register  of  Public  Monies  at, 
176;  funeral  of  Dodge  at,  299 

Burlington  Daily   Telegraph,   44,    45 

Burnett,  Thomas  P.,  21,  27 

Burnett,  Ward  B.,  sword  awarded 
to,  187 

Burr,  Aaron,  120;  duel  between 
Hamilton  and,  157 

Burton,  Allen  A.,  60 ;  Jones  suc 
ceeded  by,  as  Minister,  232 


INDEX 


339 


Butler,   Mann,   school  conducted  by, 

5,   82 

Butterworth,  A.,   152 
Bynum,  William,  162,  163,  165,  166 

Calhoun,  Anna,  assistance  to  Jones 
by,  128-130 

Calhoun,  John  C.,  99,  101,  277; 
prophecy  of,  127,  128;  opposition 
of,  to  establishment  of  Territory 
of  Iowa,  127,  128;  act  passed  in 
absence  of,  130 

California  Special  Committee,  187, 
330 

Calva,   Bartholome,    231,   233 

Campbell,  Benjamin  H.,  marriage 
of,  80,  143,  144;  reference  to, 
145 

Campbell,  Mrs.  B.  H.,   145 

Campbell,  George  W.,  marriage  of, 
143,  144 

Campbell,  Thompson,  speech  of, 
against  amendment,  43,  190; 
charges  made  by,  191;  contro 
versy  between  Jones  and,  191; 
reference  to,  192;  remark  by,  331 

Campbell,   Mr.,    124 

Cape  Girardeau    (Missouri),   271 

Capulets,   50 

Carthagena,  arrival  of  Jones  at,  58; 
reference  to,  223,  224,  226,  229, 
232 

Carver,  M.  M.,   151 

Cass,  Lewis,  county  named  for, 
101;  reference  to,  179,  185,  186, 
216,  217,  220,  273;  letter  from 
Jones  to,  219 

Cassville  (Wisconsin),  efforts  to  lo 
cate  capital  at,  17 

Cates,   Owen  Glendower,  83,  322 

Catholic  College,  Jones  in  attend 
ance  at,  5,  82 

Catron,  John,  statement  by,  con 
cerning  letter  by  Jones,  203 

Cavalry,  enlistment  of  Jones  in,  6, 
84 

Cayuga  County   (New  York),  235 

Charlotte    (servant),    142 

Cheever,  Mr.,   107 

Cherubusco,   Battle  of,  277 

Chicago,  38,  80,  192,  200,  202, 
207;  street  railway  company  of, 
145 ;  railroad  to,  196 

Cilley,  Jonathan,  duel  between 
Graves  and,  25,  167-169;  death 
of,  25,  169;  defense  of  Van 
Buren  by,  157,  158;  note  from 
Webb  to,  158;  challenge  accept 
ed  by,  159 ;  attempt  to  secure 
Jones  as  second  for,  161,  162; 
promise  of  Jones  to  be  second 

22* 


for,  162 ;  weapons  chosen  by, 
163;  reference  to,  164,  166,  170; 
party  of,  165,  166;  correspond 
ence  between  Graves  and,  326, 
327 

Cilley  Duel,  account  of,  157-170; 
effect  of,  on  Jones,  174 

Civil   War,    143 

Clark,  George  Rogers,  service  of 
Jones  under,  4,  76 

Clark,  L.  H.,  212 

Clark,    William,    118 

Clarke,  James,  33 

Clay,   James   B.,   259 

Clay,   John,    259 

Clay,  Henry,  6,  40,  76,  78,  82,  158, 
257,  277,  279,  287,  327,  330, 
332;  Jones  as  ward  of,  83;  duel 
instigated  by,  158,  159,  170; 
challenge  written  by,  159 ;  friend 
ship  of  Jones  and,  259,  260; 
trip  of,  to  Havana,  278 

Clay,   Mrs.   Henry,   259 

Clay,    Henry,    Jr.,    259 

Clay,  Theodore,  fight  between  Jones 
and,  257,  258;  death  of,  259 

Clay,    Thomas,    258 

Clayton,  John  M.,  bill  introduced 
by,  18 ;  friendship  between  Jones 
and,  100,  101;  county  named 
for,  101;  reference  to,  108,  111, 
129,  130,  222 

Clemson,  C.  G.,  129;  marriage  of, 
130 

Clerk  of  Court,  appointment  of 
Jones  as,  7,  33,  91,  112,  113, 
175 

Cobb,   Howell,   218,   219,   274 

Coffman,   Miss,    134,    136 

Collamer,    Jacob,    54 

Colonel  of  Militia,  election  of  Jones 
as,  122,  123 

Colt,    Samuel,    284 

Committees,  service  of  Jones  on, 
37,  186,  187 

Compromise  of  1850,  attitude  of 
Jones  toward,  39-41;  effect  of, 
46 

Confederacy,   President  of,    6 

Congress,  first  appearance  of  Jones 
in,  14;  memorial  to,  17,  18,  43, 
171;  pension  granted  to  Jones 
by,  67,  68;  land  given  to  John 
Rice  Jones  by,  78 

Constitution  of  Missouri,  writer  of 
first  draft  of,  78 

Constitutional  Convention  of  Mis 
souri,  Jones  a  member  of,  78 

Cork    (Ireland),   81 

Corkery,  Charles,  152,  176,  178, 
179;  biography  of  Jones  by,  181 


340 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


Cornell,   W.  W.,   151,   152 

Couch,   C.  F.,  289,  290,   292,   293 

Council  (Territory  of  Michigan), 
adjournment  of,  16;  establish 
ment  of  Territory  of  Wisconsin 
favored  by,  17 

Council  Bluffs,  bill  for  railroad  to, 
42 

Cox,  Mrs.  Henry  S.,  279 

Crane,   George,   210,   213,   214 

Crane,  Mrs.,  254 

Crary,  Isaac,   30 

Crary,   I.  E.,   125 

Crittenden,  John  J.,  78,  83,  166, 
168,  266,  267,  279,  319;  Jones 
recommended  by,  175 

Crouch,  H.  G.,  letter  from  Douglas 
to,  195-197 

Crummey's   Hotel    (Iowa  City),    182 

Cuba,  return  of  Davis  from,  266; 
trip  of  Jones  to,  278-280 

Davenport,   George,    121 

Davenport,  bill  for  railroad  to  Mis 
souri  River  from,  37,  41,  42,  48; 
public  meeting  at,  175;  reference 
to,  182 

Davis,  Jefferson,  friendship  be 
tween  Jones  and,  6,  66,  83 ;  vis 
its  of,  with  Jones,  9,  88,  89;  ref 
erence  to,  36,  145,  202,  205,  221, 
246,  259,  281,  288,  332;  letter 
from  Jones  to,  61-63,  64,  65; 
last  visit  of  Jones  to,  67,  293- 
296;  fall  of,  into  Tiber,  266, 
267;  death  of,  268;  money 
loaned  to  Jones  by,  268;  story  of 
cheating  by,  294,  295 ;  funeral 
of,  296,  297 

Davis,  Mrs.  Jefferson,  album  of,  re 
stored  by  Jones,  288-293;  refer 
ence  to,  294,  296 

Davis,   Matthew  L.,    158 

Davis,   Timothy,    152 

Davis,  Winnie,   294 

Dawson,  Clarence  Edward,  mar 
riage  of,  301 

Dawson's  boarding  house,  131,  160, 
266 

Dean,  Henry  Clay,  recollections  of,  by 
Jones,  276-278;  reference  to,  333 

Decorah,   land  office  at,   270 

Deery,  John,  210,  214 

Delaware,    109 

Delegate  to  Congress,  Jones  as,  4; 
election  of  Jones  as,  13,  19,  20, 
125,  126;  beginning  of  Jones's 
service  as,  14;  position  of,  18; 
second  term  of  Jones  as,  23 ; 
seating  of  Jones  as,  126;  Dodge 
as,  138 


Delhi,    269 

Dement,  Henry  Dodge,  122 

Dement,  John,  battalion  upbraided 
by,  121,  122;  marriage  of,  122; 
reference  to,  149 

Dement,   Mrs.   John,    death  of,    122 

Democratic  party,  failing  influence 
of,  48 ;  belief  of  Jones  in  tri 
umph  of,  51 

Democrats,  resolutions  by,  39;  su 
premacy  of,  44;  nomination  of 
Jones  by,  46 ;  lack  of  unity 
among,  50,  51;  reference  to,  53'; 
condemnation  of  Jones  by,  61; 
disrepute  of,  65 

Deputy  Clerk,  appointment  of  Jones 
as,  7 

De  Soto  House    (Galena),   155 

Des  Moines,  address  by  Jones  at,  68 

Des  Moines  County,  opposition  to 
Jones  in,  44 

Detroit,  constitutional  convention  at, 
12 ;  Horner  at,  15,  16 ;  reference 
to,  124,  126;  Sheldon  at,  273 

Dickinson,  Daniel  S.,  pistol  taken 
from  Foote  by,  273;  reference  to, 
277 

District  of  Columbia,  bill  prohibit 
ing  dueling  in,  26 

Dixon    (Illinois),    122 

Dodge,  Augustus  Caesar,  21,  22, 
48,  49,  52,  100,  178,  197,  199, 
201,  204,  262,  266,  268,  323; 
candidacy  of,  for  Senator,  34; 
election  of,  as  Senator,  35,  182; 
efforts  of,  to  secure  railroad 
grants,  37,  41-43;  bill  introduced 
by,  46,  47 ;  vote  of,  for  Kansas- 
Nebraska  bill,  47;  successor  to, 
in  Senate,  48 ;  appointment  of, 
as  Minister,  56,  139-141;  visit  of, 
to  Washington,  131;  elopement 
of  Clara  Hertich  and,  131-137; 
visit  of  Jones  with,  138;  ap 
pointment  of,  as  Register,  138, 
175,  176;  offices  held  by,  138, 
139  ;  character  of  early  life  of,  139  ; 
objection  of  Possums  to,  179; 
first  appearance  of,  in  Senate, 
182,  183;  term  drawn  by,  183; 
reelection  of,  183 ;  commendation 
of,  by  Polk,  183  ;  journey  of,  to 
Washington,  184 ;  rooms  shared 
by  Jones  and,  184,  185 ;  appoint 
ment  urged  by,  186 ;  democracy 
of,  281,  282;  death  of,  299-301; 
vote  of,  on  compromise  measures, 
317 

Dodge,   Celina,   marriage  of,    262 

Dodge,  Charles  Jones,   138,  299 

Dodge,    Henry,    9,    10,    21,    30,    36, 


INDEX 


341 


68,  89,  100,  110,  111,  113,  114, 
116,  127,  184,  201,  281,  302; 
appointment  of,  as  Major,  11, 
324;  Jones  appointed  aid-de 
camp  to,  11,  118,  119,  148;  ap 
pointment  of,  as  Governor,  19, 
106,  175 ;  defeat  of  Indians  by, 
120;  order  of,  to  Campbell,  120; 
vote  of  Posey's  brigade  against, 
121;  marriage  of  daughter  of, 
122 ;  Jones  as  successor  to,  122, 
123 ;  operations  of,  in  Black 
Hawk  War,  149,  150;  gratitude 
of  Atkinson  to,  150 ;  Jones  rec 
ommended  by,  175 ;  mention  of, 
as  candidate  for  President,  177, 
178;  appointment  of,  as  Colonel 
of  Dragoons,  309;  charge  against, 
312 

Dodge,  Henry  L.,  118,  123,  148; 
appointment  of,  as  Indian  agent, 
176 

Dodge,  Lucy,  246 
Dodge,  Mary,  marriage  of,    122 
Dodgeville     (Wisconsin),     131,     138, 

148,    175,    262,    282 
Donaghoe,   Father,    223 
Donelson,     Andrew     Jackson,      104, 

105 

Donelson,   Miss  Emily,   103 
Donnan,   W.    G.,    286,    288 
Dorr,    J.    B.,    interview    of    Douglas 
and,   199 ;  defense  of  Douglas  by, 
200,   201 

Doty,  James  D.,  nomination  of,  for 
Delegate,  13 ;  efforts  of,  to  se 
cure  capital  for  Madison,  21; 
letter  to  Jones  from,  22 ;  refer 
ence  to,  26,  27,  31,  273:  election 
of,  as  Delegate,  27;  beginning  of 
service  of,  as  Delegate,  29;  seat 
in  Congress  given  to,  30:  can 
didacy  of,  for  Delegate,  125;  re 
moval  of,  by  Jackson,  125 ;  of 
fices  held  by,  126,  127:  contest 
between  Jones  and,  in  Congress, 
172 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  controversy 
between  Jones  and,  38,  43,  44, 
55,  56;  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  of, 
47 ;  opposition  of,  to  Lecompton 
Constitution,  51,  54;  reference 
to,  54,  61,  62,  187,  190,  191, 
204,  205,  206,  318;  campaign 
between  Lincoln  and,  55,  192 ; 
amendment  to  railroad  bill  fa 
vored  by,  189;  statement  by, 
192;  letter  of,  192,  193,  194, 
195,  196,  197;  defense  of,  193- 
195,  200,  201;  reply  of  Jones  to, 
197-202,  203 


Dowling,   Nicholas,   261 
Downs,   Solomon  W.,   83 
Drvimmer  boy,    service  of  Jones   as. 
5 ;    pension    for    service    of    Jones 
as,   68,   301,   302 
Du  Bourg,   Bishop,   5,   82 
Dubuque,    life    of    Jones    at,    3,    32 ; 
meeting    of    citizens    of,     13,     26. 
175;    ferry    owned    by    Jones    at. 
31,    315;    land  office   at,    32,    114, 
129;    removal    of    Jones    to,    33: 
bill  for  railroad  to  Keokuk  from. 
36,    37,   41,    42;   terminus   of  rail 
road  at,   38,   43,   55;   proposal  for 
railroad     from     Des     Moines     to. 
42 ;    opposition    to    Jones    in,    44, 
45 ;    bill    for    railroad    west    from, 
48;    controversy   at,    50;   reference 
to,   57,   60,   81/92,   143,   151,   171. 
174,     182,     184,     190,     191,     193, 
194,     197,     204,     206,     209,     223. 
238,     252,     254,     274,     296,     328, 
331;    welcome    to    Jones    by    citi 
zens   of,    64;    retirement   of*  Jones 
at,     67-71;     resolution    of    citizens 
of,    in    praise    of    Jones,    69,    70 ; 
death   of  Jones   at,    71;   first  ferry 
to,    95;    lead   mines    at,    96;    land 
matters      at,      151-156;      trial      of 
O'Conner  at,    155 ;   petition   of  cit 
izens    of,    172;    Register    of    Land 
Office     at,     186;     amendment     ex 
tending     railroad     to,      189,      195, 
196;    proposed    railroad    to    Sioux 
City  from,    189;    visit   of   Douglas 
to,  199;  debt  of,  to  Douglas,  200; 
method    of    travel    from    east    to, 
207;  building  of  railroad  to,  209; 
return     of     Jones     to,     219;     first 
Cathedral  in,   262;   ice  harbor  at, 
280,    281;    Jones  sent   as   delegate 
from,   286;  debt  of,  to  Jones,  298 
Dubuque  Herald,   44,    45 
Duel,   Jones   as  second  in,   24-26 
Dueling,    bill    prohibiting,    26     325 

326 
Duncan,    Alexander,    162,    163,    164, 

165,    166 

Dunham's  Female  Seminary,  275 
Dunlap,    Dr.,    Rice    Jones    shot    by, 

79;   escape  of,  80 

Dunleith     (Illinois),    64,    210,    212; 
celebration   of    completion    of   rail 
road  to,    199 ;   sale  of  land  owned 
by  Jones  at,   211-215 
Dunn,      Charles,      Jones      appointed 
Clerk  by,    32,    33,    112,    113;    ap 
pointment     of,     as     Judge,      111; 
marriage     of,     111;     drunkenness 
of,   111,   112;  reference  to,    147 
Dyer,  J.  J.,  death  of,  280 


342 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


Eagle  Point,  171 

East  Dubuque,   95,   210,   254 

East  St.  Louis,  283 

Eaton,    A.    K.,    reminiscences   of,    by 

Jones,   269,   270 
Eaton,  William  L.,  270 
Edwards,   Ninian,    6,    82 
Ellis,  Albert  G.,  resignation  of,   114, 

115 
England,     education    of    John    Bice 

Jones  in,  4,   75 

Enrolled   Bills,    Committee  on,    187 
Europe,    8 

Fairfield,    190 

Fanning,  James,   152 

Fanning,  Timothy,  ferry  operated 
by,  315 

Farley,  J.  P.,  214 

Farley,  Detective,   243 

Fassitt,  Thomas  C.,   152 

Fayal    (Azore  Islands),   280 

Felch,  Alpheus,   184 

Fenner,    Charles   C.,    268,    296 

Ferry,  operation  of,  by  Jones,  31, 
95;  leasing  of,  by  Jones,  32;  pe 
tition  of  Jones  relative  to,  238 

Fever  River,  migration  of  Jones  to, 
7,  86;  Jones  advised  to  go  to, 
85;  reference  to,  87,  92,  189 

Fillmore,  Millard,  choice  of  member 
of  cabinet  of,  97;  reference  to, 
99,  100 ;  reorganization  of  Cab 
inet  of,  323 

Finley,  W.  H.,   219 

Fisher,   Myers,    76 

Fitzpatrick,  Benjamin,  54 

Fletcher,  Jonathan  E.,  candidacy 
of,  for  Senator,  181,  182 

Florida,  pairing  of,  with  Iowa,  53 ; 
reference  to,  104 

Foltz,  Jonathan  M.,   166 

Foote,  Henry  S.,  arraignment  of 
Seward  by,  271,  272;  attack  on 
Benton  by,  272,  273;  reference 
to,  333 

Forrest,  Edwin,  friendship  of  Jones 
and,  257 

Forsyth,   John,    107,    163,    165 

Fort  Crawford,  Davis  stationed  at, 
9,  89;  reference  to,  88,  150,  295 

Fort  Des  Moines,  proposal  for  rail 
roads  from,  42;  reference  to,  43, 
44 

Fort  Dixon,   115 

Fort  Dodge  Sentinel,  article  from, 
192-202 

Fort   Hamilton,    244 

Fort  Lafayette,  imprisonment  of 
Jones  at,  60,  245;  release  of 
Jones  from,  63,  245,  246;  return 


of  prisoners  from,  209;   reference 

to,   243,   244 
Fort  Madison,    151;    public   meeting 

at,    175 

Fort  Sumter,   firing  on,   61 
Fort   Union,    119 
Fort   Winnebago,    Dodge   ordered   to 

return  to,   149;  reference  to,  150, 

295 

Fortress  Monroe,    291 
Fox  Indians,  trading  of  Jones  with, 

95;   Sac  and,   agent  of,   115 
France,    desire    of    Jones    to    go    to, 

218 

Frankfort    (Kentucky),    82 
Franklin,    Benjamin,    76 
Frazer,  William  C.,    appointment  of, 

as    Judge,    108-110;    drunkenness 

of,    110,    111 
Free   Soil  party,   47 
Fremont,  John  C.,  273 
Frontier,    neglect    of,    18;    acquaint 
ance  of  Jones  with,   32 
Fugitive    Slave  Law,    65 
Fuller,   Melville  W.,   299 

Galena  (Illinois),  rush  to  vicinity 
of,  8 ;  reference  to,  10,  43,  86, 
88,  89,  92,  118,  124,  137,  138, 
139,  143,  144,  145,  146,  190, 
191,  194,  195,  197,  198,  200,  204, 
213,  254,  261,  331;  railroad  to, 
38,  196;  disappointment  of,  38; 
resentment  of  people  of,  55 ;  mur 
der  of  St.  Yrain  near,  115;  mur 
der  of  Smith  at,  155 ;  amendment 
to  bill  for  railroad  to,  189,  190; 
sacrifice  of  interests  of,  193 ;  at 
tempt  of  Douglas  to  satisfy  peo 
ple  of,  201;  celebration  at,  209; 
journey  of  Dodge  to,  282;  Lang- 
worthys  near,  308,  309 

Galena  Courier,  55 ;  editorial  and 
letter  from,  192-197 

Galena  Packet  Company,  officers  of, 
145 

Garnick,  Mr.,  212 

Gelston,  Mrs.  George  A.,  provisions 
sent  to  Jones  by,  245 ;  call  of 
Jones  upon,  246 

General  Assembly  (Iowa),  celebra 
tion  of  birthday  of  Jones  by,  68 
70 

Georgia    (warship),    278,    279 

Geyer,   Henry  S.,   97 

Giddings,   Joshua   R.,   31,    172 

Gilbert's  boarding  house  (Washing 
ton),  184 

Gorman,  Arthur  P.,  302 

Gouri,   Baron,   232 

Grafton,   Joseph  D.,   89,    90 


INDEX 


343 


Grant,  James,  45 ;  candidacy  of,  for 
Senator,  180,  181,  182 

Grant,   Ulysses  S.,  284,  288 

Grant  County  (Wisconsin),  86; 
memorial  from  citizens  of,  171 

Gratiot,    Charles,    264 

Gratiot,   Henry,   264;    grave  of,   265 

Gratiot,   Mrs.  Henry,   264 

Gratiot's   Grove,    264,    265 

Graves,    Mr.,    298 

Graves,  William  J.,  duel  between 
Cilley  and,  25,  167-169;  petitions 
for  expulsion  of,  25;  note  carried 
to  Cilley  by,  158;  challenge  to 
Cilley  from,  159;  reference  to, 
161,  162,  163,  164,  165,  170; 
party  of,  166 ;  correspondence 
between  Cilley  and,  326,  327 

Green,  James  S.,   54,   237 

Green  Bay  (Wisconsin),  13,  17, 
125,  148,  287;  meeting  of  legis 
lature  at,  15,  16 

Gregoire,  Mr.,  213 

Gregoire,  Charles,  Sr.,  90;  conver 
sation  of,  with  Jones,  94 

Gregoire,  Charles,  Jr.,  90,  281;  ball 
given  by,  142 

Gregoire,   Mrs.  C.   H.,    142 

Gregoire,   Eulalie,    142 

Gregoire,  Josephine,  marriage  of 
Jones  and,  9,  88,  95,  142;  ref 
erence  to,  86,  92 ;  proposal  of 
Jones  to,  93,  94 

Griffith,   Mr.,   232 

Griffith,  Isaac  W.,  277,   278 

Grimes,  James  W.,  election  of,  as 
Governor,  47 ;  election  of,  as  Sen 
ator,  52 

Grundy,   Felix,    84,    99,   277 

Guest's  Boarding  House  (Washing 
ton),  159 

Guignon,   Mrs.,    142 

Gwin,  William  M.,  242,  243 

Gwin,  Mrs.  William  M.,   242,  243 

Half  Breed  Tract,    179 

Hall,  the  Misses,  capture  of,  by  In 
dians,  116 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  son  of,  120, 
122;  duel  between  Burr  and,  157 

Hamilton,  William  S.,  21,  122;  res 
idence  of,  119,  120;  order  of 
Dodge  to,  120 

Hannegan,   Edward  A.,    83,    131 

Harden,   Lord,    141 

Harlan,  James,  election  of,  as  Sen 
ator,  48 ;  reference  to,  323 

Harney,  William  S.,  261;  recollec 
tions  of,  by  Jones,  283,  284; 
visit  of  Jones  with,  293-295 

Harris,  Thomas  L.,   198,  206 


Harrison,   Benjamin,    77 

Harrison,  William  Henry,  removal 
of  Jones  by,  32;  recollection  of, 
76;  reference  to,  321 

Havana  (Cuba),  trip  of  Jones  to, 
278-280,  332 

Haws,  J.  H.  Hobart,  266 

Haycock,    George  B.,   279 

Hempstead,  Charles  S.,  123,  124; 
marriage  of  Mrs.  Barnes  and, 
146 

Hempstead,  Stephen,  45 :  candidacy 
of,  for  Senator,  180.  181,  182 

Hempstead,    William,    146 

Hempstead,   William,    147 

Henderson,   David  B.,   334 

Henn,  Bernhart,  43,  190 ;  appoint 
ment  urged  by,  186 

Hennessy,  Archbishop,  contribution 
by,  to  fund,  298 

Henry    (servant),    143 

Henry,    Gustavus    A.,    83 

Henry,   James  D.,    149 

Hermitage,   84 

Herran,    Archbishop,    223 

Herran,  Pedro  A.,  223,  244 

Herran,  General,  229;  removal  of 
Jones  to  home  of,  230;  defeat  of, 
230 

Herran,  Mrs.,   228,  230. 

Hertich,   Charles,   133,   300 

Hertich,  Clara,  elopement  of  Dodge 
and,  131-137;  visit  of  Jones 
with,  138;  reference  to,  300 

Hertich,  Joseph,  Sr.,  132,  133,  134, 
136,  137;  school  taught  by,  300 

Hertich,  Mrs.  Joseph,  132,  133, 
134,  136,  137 

Hertich,  Joseph,  Jr.,  133,  134,  137, 
300 

Hertich,   Vilar,   300 

Hewitt,   Mr.,   214 

Higgenbotham,    Alexander,    117 

Hodgdon,   General,   211 

Holley,    Horace,    85 

Holt,  Joseph,  330 

Homestead,  fund  to  release,  297-299 

Honda,  arrival  of  Jones  at,  58; 
reference  to,  224,  226 

Homer,  John  S.,  appointment  of, 
as  Secretary,  14 :  inefficiency  of, 
14;  failure  of,  to  reach  Green 
Bay,  15,  16;  letter  from  Lyon 
to,  15;  arraignment  of,  16;  let 
ter  to  Jones  from,  16,  17;  failure 
of  Jackson  to  remove,  17;  refer 
ence  to,  310 

Horr,   Asa,    219 

Horse  Shoe  Bend    (Wisconsin),    124 

Hotel  Keil    (Ste.   Genevieve),    142 

Houston,  Sam,  81 


344 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


Howe,  Timothy  Otis,  amendment 
offered  by,  287 

Hughes,  Mr.,   135 

Hughes,  John,   223 

Hulsemann,    Chevalier,    241 

Huner,  Jacob,    178 

Hutchins,  Stilson,  283 ;  recollec 
tions  of,  by  Jones,  284,  285 

Hunter,    William,    jealousy    of,    221, 


Illinois,  6,  111,  118,  126,  189,  193, 
206;  origin  of  nickname  of,  8; 
United  States  Marshal  for,  143 ; 
efforts  of  Jones  in  behalf  of  rail 
road  in,  208 

Illinois,  Territory  of,  removal  of 
Jones  to,  4 ;  slaves  in,  66 ;  estab 
lishment  of,  77 

Illinois  and  Michigan   Canal,    196 

Illinois  Central  Railroad,  bill  for 
grant  to,  38;  amendment  to  bill 
for,  55;  Douglas  and,  189-205; 
celebration  of  completion  of,  199 ; 
experiences  of  Jones  with,  206- 
215;  land  sold  to,  by  Jones,  210- 
215 

Illinois  Land  Bill,   43 

Illinois  Militia,  Posey's  brigade  of, 
119 

Illinois  Volunteers,    148,    150 

Independence    (Iowa),  289 

Indiana,   40,    126 

Indiana  Territory,  birth  of  Jones 
in,  3,  65,  75 ;  prominence  of  John 
Rice  Jones  in,  4;  slaves  in,  66: 
Governor  of,  76 ;  division  of,  77 

Indians,  mining  by,  8 ;  disturbances 
caused  by,  10;  plan  to  subdue, 
76 ;  service  of  John  Rice  Jones 
in  wars  against,  78;  massacre 
by,  115-118;  killing  of  Auber  by, 
119;  defeat  of,  by  Dodge,  120; 
reference  to,  148,  149 

Iowa,  Jones  as  Senator  from,  4; 
Jones  as  Surveyor  General  for, 
31;  removal  of  Jones  to,  33;  ad 
mission  of,  34;  election  of  Sena 
tors  in,  34,  35,  44-46;  bills  for 
railroad  grants  in,  36,  37,  38, 
41-43,  190;  resolution  from,  39; 
attitude  of  people  of,  toward 
slavery,  41;  change  in  politics  of, 
47,  67,  127,  128;  beginning  of 
Republican  party  in,  48 ;  efforts 
to  secure  railroad  grants  for,  48, 
49 ;  opposition  to  Lecompton  Con 
stitution  in,  52,  53 ;  pairing  of, 
with  Florida,  53 ;  condemnation 
of  Jones  in,  61.  64,  65;  first  fer 
ry  to,  95;  reference  to,  98,  118, 


206,  216,  324;  federal  appoint 
ments  in,  100,  101,  130,  131, 
185,  186;  proposed  railroad  in, 
189;  debt  of,  to  Douglas,  200 

Iowa,  Territory  of,  settlement  of 
Jones  in,  31;  establishment  of, 
secured  by  Jones,  23,  24;  objec 
tions  to  establishment  of,  24;  ap 
pointment  of  Governor  of,  26; 
bill  for  establishment  of,  127; 
opposition  of  Calhoun  to  estab 
lishment  of,  127,  128;  establish 
ment  of,  130,  155,  156,  174; 
recommendations  of  Jones  for 
Governor  of,  172,  174,  175; 
United  States  Attorney  for,  179 

Iowa  City,  Jones  at,  178,  181,  182; 
reference  to,  184,  269 

Iowa  County  (Wisconsin  Terri 
tory),  appointment  of  Jones  as 
Chief  Justice  in,  11;  election  of 
Jones  as  colonel  of  militia  of,  11, 
122,  123 ;  meeting  of  citizens  of, 
13,  20;  fight  between  towns  in,  20 

Iowa  Land  Bill,  efforts  to  secure 
adoption  of,  41-43 ;  reference  to, 
44 

Irwin,  David,  nomination  of,  for 
Delegate,  13;  reference  to,  107, 
125,  155 

Jackson,  Andrew,  escort  of,  by 
Jones,  6,  84;  reference  to,  16 
17,  76,  102,  130,  131,  150,  218 
Dodge  appointed  Governor  by 
19;  county  named  for,  101;  in 
troduction  of  Jones  to,  102,  103 ; 
appointments  by,  for  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  104-111,  125;  friend 
ship  of  Jones  and,  187;  sword 
awarded  by,  187;  reminiscences 
of,  by  Jones,  262,  263 

Jackson,   Mrs.   Andrew,    103 

Jackson,  Frank  D.,  special  message 
of,  68,  69 

Jackson,    Thomas  Jonathan,    291 

Jackson,    Mr.,    complaint   of,    152 

James,    Judge,    133,    134 

Jamison,   Mr.,    289 

Janesville    (Wisconsin),    264 

Janis,  Mrs.,    142 

Jenkins,  J.  Doran,  134,  137,  270, 
300 

Jennings,  Thomas  Jefferson,   84 

Jo  Daviess  District,    190 

Johnson,  Mr.,   154,    155 

Johnson,  Mr.,  return  of,  from  Fort 
Lafayette,  209 

Johnson,   E.   W.,   45 

Johnson,  James,  mining  operations 
of,  8 


INDEX 


345 


Johnson,   Richard  M.,   78,   79 

Johnstone,  Edward,  179;  candidacy 
of,  for  Senator,  182 

Jones,  Augustus,  75,  119,  252;  re 
moval  of,  to  Texas,  81 

Jones,  Charles,  58,  209,  259,  287; 
journey  of,  to  Bogota,  223,  224; 
study  of  Spanish  language  by, 
225 ;  return  of,  to  United  States, 
226,  227;  ability  of,  227;  sick 
ness  of,  227 

Jones,  Eliza,   75 ;  marriage  of,   80 

Jones,  George,  295 

Jones,  George  Wallace,  outline  of 
life  of,  3 ;  removal  of,  to  Mis 
souri,  3  ;  removal  of,  to  Michigan, 
3 ;  removal  of,  to  Iowa,  3 ;  places 
of  residence  of,  3,  4;  occupations 
of,  4;  father  of,  4;  early  educa 
tion  of,  5,  82 ;  service  of,  as 
drummer  boy,  5 ;  movements  of, 
in  Missouri,  5 ;  education  of,  at 
Transylvania  University,  5-7 ;  pa 
trons  of,  6,  83 ;  fellow  students 
of,  6,  83 ;  enlistment  of,  in  cav 
alry,  6,  84;  Jackson  escorted  by, 
6,  84 ;  Lafayette  escorted  by,  6, 
84 ;  love  affairs  of,  6,  7 ;  gradua 
tion  of,  from  university,  7,  84, 
85 ;  return  of,  to  Ste.  Genevieve,  7, 
8,  92 ;  legal  position  held  by,  7 ; 
poor  health  of,  7,  85 ;  migration 
of,  to  Fever  River,  7;  location  of, 
in  Wisconsin,  8 ;  mining  opera 
tions  of,  9,  87,  88;  visits  of 
Davis  with,  9,  88,  89 ;  marriage 
of,  9,  88,  95,  142;  return  of,  to 
lead  mines,  9,  10 ;  service  of,  in 
Black  Hawk  War,  10,  11;  elec 
tion  of,  as  colonel  of  militia,  11, 
122,  123;  appointment  of,  as 
Justice,  11,  123,  124;  interest  of, 
in  politics,  11;  office  deserved  by, 
12 ;  nomination  of,  for  Delegate, 
13,  20,  125 ;  first  appearance  of, 
in  Congress,  14 ;  slowness  in  re 
turn  of  votes  for,  15 ;  certificate 
of  election  of,  16;  letter  from 
Horner  to,  16 ;  efforts  of,  to  se 
cure  establishment  of  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  17,  18;  legislative  ac 
tivities  of,  19 ;  character  of  ser 
vice  of,  as  Delegate,  19 ;  election 
of,  as  Delegate,  20,  125,  126; 
land  on  site  of  Madison  owned 
by,  21,  22;  letter  from  Doty  to, 
22;  interest  of,  in  railroads,  23; 
establishment  of  Territory  of  Iowa 
secured  by,  23,  24;  Graves-Cilley 
duel  seconded  by,  25 ;  petitions 
for  expulsion  of,  25 ;  recommen 


dation  of,  for  Governor,  26,  174, 
175 ;  candidacy  of,  for  Delegate, 
26,  27;  defeat  of,  by  Doty,  27; 
efforts  of,  to  retain  seat  as  Dele 
gate,  27-31,  172;  question  of 
compensation  of,  as  Delegate,  31, 
172,  173;  return  of,  to  Sinsin- 
awa  Mound,  31,  142,  143;  ferry 
owned  by,  31,  315;  service  of,  as 
Surveyor  General,  31,  32,  33; 
appointment  of,  as  Clerk,  33,  91, 
112,  113;  removal  of,  to  Du- 
buque,  33  ;  candidacy  of,  for  Sen 
ator,  34,  46,  178-182;  election  of, 
as  Senator,  35,  181,  182:  de 
scription  of,  36;  appearance  of, 
in  Senate,  36;  efforts  of,  in  sup 
port  of  railroads,  36,  37,  38,  41- 
43,  48,  49;  committee  service  of, 
37,  186,  187;  attitude  of,  toward 
compromise  measures,  39-41;  con 
troversy  between  Douglas  and, 
43,  44,  55,  56;  contest  of,  for  re 
election  to  Senate,  44-46,  49,  50; 
unpleasant  relations  between 
Morgan  and,  44 ;  life  and  ser 
vices  of,  45 ;  absence  of,  from 
Washington,  46 ;  second  election 
of,  as  Senator,  46 ;  reference  to, 
46,  75,  81,  310;  vote  of,  for 
Kansas-Nebraska  bill,  47 ;  grati 
tude  of  constituents  of,  49 ;  end 
of  Senatorial  term  of,  49 ;  di 
vision  among  Democrats,  relative 
to,  50;  support  of  Buchanan  by, 
51;  defeat  of,  for  nomination  for 
Senator,  52;  successor  to,  in 
Senate,  52 ;  support  of  Lecomp- 
ton  Constitution  by,  52-54;  fail 
ure  of,  to  obey  instructions,  53, 
54 ;  last  session  of,  as  Senator, 
56 ;  appointment  of,  as  Minister 
to  Bogota,  56,  57,  216,  217;  ser 
vice  of,  as  Minister  to  Bogota, 
58-60;  successor  to,  as  Minister, 
60,  232;  sons  of,  in  Confederate 
armies,  60 ;  arrest  and  imprison 
ment  of,  60,  242-245 ;  reason  for 
arrest  of,  60,  61;  letter  to  Davis 
from,  61-63,  64,  65;  letter  to 
Morse  from,  61,  63;  release  of, 
from  prison,  63,  245 ;  condemna 
tion  of,  in  Iowa,  64,  65 ;  reasons 
for  sympathy  of,  with  South,  65- 
67;  years  of  retirement  of,  67- 
71;  pension  granted  to,  67,  68, 
301-303 ;  celebration  of  ninetieth 
birthday  of,  68-70;  character  of 
last  years  of,  70 ;  recollections  of, 
70,  71;  death  of,  71;  birth  of, 
75;  removal  of,  to  Kaskaskia, 


346 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


81;  removal  of,  to  Ste.  Gene- 
vieve,  81,  82;  entrance  of,  into 
Transylvania  University,  82 ;  law 
practice  of,  85;  advice  to,  by 
Linn,  85,  86;  log  cabin  built  by, 
86,  87;  service  of,  as  deputy 
clerk,  89;  letter  from  Peck  to, 
90,  91;  shipment  of  lead  to  St. 
Louis  by,  91,  92;  proposal  of,  to 
Josephine  Gregoire,  93,  94 ;  lead 
purchased  from  Indians  by,  95 ; 
land  given  to  Jordan  by,  96 ; 
land  speculations  of  Webster  and, 
96-99 ;  member  of  cabinet  sug 
gested  by,  97;  debt  of  Webster  to, 
98 ;  relations  between  Taylor  and, 
100 ;  friendship  between  Clayton 
and,  100,  101;  counties  named 
at  suggestion  of,  101 ;  journey  of, 
to  Washington,  102,  184;  intro 
duction  of,  to  Jackson,  102,  103 ; 
service  of,  as  grand  juror,  112; 
reappointment  of,  as  Surveyor 
General,  113,  114;  block  house 
built  by,  115;  account  of  murder 
of  St.  Vrain  told  by,  115-118; 
appointment  of,  as  aid  to  Dodge, 
118,  119;  seating  of,  as  Delegate, 
126;  country  represented  by, 
126 ;  assistance  given  by  Miss 
Calhoun  to,  128-130;  citing  of, 
as  security,  135 ;  visit  of,  with 
Dodge,  138;  appointments  of 
Dodge  secured  by,  138-140;  house 
built  by,  143 ;  claim  taken  by,  at 
Sinsinawa  Mound,  145 ;  removal 
of,  from  Sinsinawa  Mound,  147; 
land  grants  secured  by,  151; 
mob  quieted  by,  153,  154 ;  peti 
tion  of  O'Conner  to,  155 ;  secur 
ing  of,  as  second  for  Cilley,  160- 
162 ;  arrangements  for  Cilley 
duel  made  by,  162-167;  service  of, 
as  second  in  duel,  167-169;  state 
ment  concerning  Cilley  duel  by, 
169,  170;  appropriation  for  sur 
vey  of  railroad  secured  by,  171; 
offices  held  by,  175;  appointments 
secured  by,  175,  176,  185,  186; 
friendship  between  Buchanan 
and,  176,  177;  conversation  be 
tween  Wilson  and,  180,  181; 
first  appearance  of,  in  Senate, 
182,  183;  term  drawn  by,  183; 
commendation  of,  by  Polk,  183 ; 
rooms  shared  by  Dodge  and,  184, 
185;  friendship  of,  with  Presi 
dents,  187;  mention  of,  for  Cab 
inet  position,  188;  controversy 
between  Campbell  and,  191;  let 
ter  to  Douglas  from,  192  ;  charges 


against,  193-196;  reply  of,  to 
Douglas,  197-202;  conversation 
between  Buchanan  and,  202, 
203 ;  comment  on  reply  of,  to 
Douglas,  203;  letter  from  Shields 
to,  203,  204;  letter  from  Wilson 
to,  204,  205;  interview  of  Os- 
borne  with,  206,  207;  aid  for  Il 
linois  Central  Railroad  secured 
by,  208,  209;  use  of  pass  by, 
209,  210;  pass  taken  from,  210; 
sale  of  land  to  railroad  company 
by,  210-215;  refusal  of,  to  ac 
cept  appointment,  217-219;  ac 
ceptance  of  appointment  by,  219, 
220 ;  instructions  to,  as  Minister, 
220-222;  journey  of,  to  Bogota, 
223,  224;  baptism  of,  223;  ex 
periences  of,  in  Bogota,  224-232 ; 
oath  administered  to,  232,  233; 
return  of,  from  Bogota,  233 ; 
compliments  to,  by  Seward,  233 ; 
greeting  of,  by  Seward,  235;  in 
troduction  of,  to  Lincoln,  236; 
conversation  of,  with  Lincoln, 
236-241;  dinner  given  to,  by 
Seward,  237,  238;  visit  of,  with 
Mrs.  Lincoln,  241;  visit  of,  with 
Seward,  241,  242;  order  for  ar 
rest  of,  244 ;  provisions  sent  to, 
in  prison,  245 ;  suit  of,  against 
Seward,  246,  247;  first  mining 
effort  of,  251,  252;  lead  mine 
purchased  by,  252,  255 ;  ball  at 
tended  by,  254,  255;  friendship 
of  Lewis  and,  256;  friendship  of 
Forrest  and,  257;  fight  between 
Theodore  Clay  and,  257,  258; 
friendship  of  Clay  and,  259,  260 ; 
dress  of,  260,  261;  banquet  ten 
dered  to,  at  Milwaukee,  264,  265; 
money  loaned  by  Davis  to,  268; 
conversation  of,  with  Benton, 
271;  concert  by  Jenny  Lind  at 
tended  by,  274;  visit  of  Dean 
with,  276;  children  named  for, 
277;  trip  of,  to  Havana,  278- 
280;  visit  of,  in  St.  Louis,  283, 
284;  meeting  of  Elaine  by,  286, 
287;  album  of  Mrs.  Davis  re 
stored  by,  288-293 ;  last  visit  of, 
with  Davis,  293,  296;  fund  to 
release  homestead  of,  297-299; 
funeral  of  Dodge  attended  by, 
299;  duel  between  Williams  and, 
313 

Jones,  Mrs.  George  W.,  return  of, 
to  Ste.  Genevieve,  10,  115;  ar 
rival  of,  at  Sinsinawa  Mound, 
143  (see  also  Josephine  Gre 
goire) 


INDEX 


347 


Jones,  Harriet,  75 ;  marriage  of, 
80,  81,  251 

Jones,   James  K,    302 

Jones,  J.  Russell,  marriage  of,  80; 
career  of,  144,  145 

Jones,  John,  75,  119,  252;  career 
of,  in  Texas,  81 

Jones,  John  Rice,  early  history  of, 
4 ;  efforts  of,  to  secure  introduc 
tion  of  slavery,  4,  66;  removal  of, 
to  Kaskaskia,  4 ;  removal  of,  to 
Ste.  Genevieve,  4 ;  movements  of, 
in  Missouri,  5 ;  political  activities 
of,  5,  78 ;  birth  of,  75 ;  children 
of,  75 ;  education  of,  75 ;  immi 
gration  of,  to  America,  75 ; 
friends  of,  76 ;  westward  migra 
tion  of,  76;  service  of,  in  Clark's 
army,  76 ;  bond  drawn  by,  77 ; 
removal  of,  to  Missouri,  77; 
death  of,  77 ;  reference  to,  80, 
111,  239,  301,  321,  329;  dress 
of,  261;  land  granted  to,  322 

Jones,  Katherine  Stribling,  mar 
riage  of,  301 

Jones,   Maria,    75,   220 

Jones,  Myers  Fisher,  75,  252 ;  re 
moval  of,  to  Texas,  81 

Jones,  Nancy,    75 

Jones,  Rice,  75 ;  education  of,  78 ; 
friends  of,  78 ;  character  of,  79 ; 
death  of,  79 

Jones,    William,   259,    287 

Jones,  William  Ashley,  biography  of 
Jones  by,  181 

Jones,    William   Powell,    75 

Jones  Hotel  (Philadelphia),  187, 
253 

Jordon,  Thomas,  land  given  by 
Jones  to,  96 ;  ferry  operated  by, 
96 

Jordan's  ferry,   254 

Jules    (servant),    142 

Julien  House   (Dubuque),   130 

Kansas,  interest  in  affairs  in,  50; 
struggle  in,  50,  51;  question  of 
admission  of,  52,  53,  54:  refer 
ence  to,  53  ;  grant  of  land  to,  54 

Kansas,  Territory  of,  bill  for  or 
ganization  of,  47 

Kansas-Nebraska  bill,  opposition  to, 
47 ;  sequel  to,  50 ;  reference  to, 
199 

Karrick,   Frank,   253 

Karrick,  George  O.,  252;  lead 
hauled  by,  253  ;  meeting  of  Jones 
with,  in  Philadelphia,  258;  ap 
pointment  of,  as  clerk,  255 ;  lead 
mine  purchased  at  suggestion  of, 
255;  burial  place  of,  256 


Karrick,  Mrs.  George  O.,  254 

Karrick,  Henrietta,  254;  marriage 
of,  256 

Karrick,   Joseph,   253 

Karrick  Lode.   252 

Kaskaskia  (Illinois),  removal  of 
Jones  to,  4,  81;  reference  to,  76, 
142 :  Rice  Jones  at,  79 ;  elope 
ment  of  Dodge  to,  133-135,  137, 
300 

Keene's  Phoenix  Hotel  (Lexington), 
102 

Keinble,   Gouverneur,  217,   220 

Kennedy,  John  Alexander,  242,  243, 
244 

Kenrick,  Francis  Patrick,  223  ^ 

Kentucky,  education  of  Jones  in,  4, 
197;  escort  of  Jackson  through, 
6,  84,  102 

Keokuk,  bill  for  railroad  from  Du 
buque  to,  36,  37,  41,  42;  pro 
posal  to  omit  railroad  to,  42 ;  ref 
erence  to,  43,  48,  280,  319;  dis 
appointment  of  people  of,  49 ; 
public  meeting  at,  175;  post 
master  at,  185 

Kiel.    Mr.,    90 

Kimmel,   Allen.    142 

Kimmel,   A.   W.,    132 

King,   John,    178,    179 

King.   William  R.,   102,   177,   275 

King's  Boarding  House  (Washing 
ton),  164 

Kinney,  J.  F.,  candidacy  of,  for 
Senator,  181,  182 

Kirkwood  House  (Washington), 
216 

Lafayette,   Marquis  de,   escort  of,  by 

Jones,    6,    84 

Lafayette    County    (Kentucky),    103 
Lake      Koshkonong,      Indian      camp 

near,    117 
Lake   Michigan,    project   for   railroad 

to    Mississippi     River    from,     23; 

reference   to,    126 

Lancaster    (Pennsylvania),    109,  218 
Land,  speculation  of  Jones  in,  22,  23 
Land  grants,    bill   for,    151 
Land  office,   protest   against   removal 

of.   32 ;   threat  to  destroy,    153 
Land  offices,  creation  of,   11,   129 
Lane,   Harriet,    222 
Langworthy,   Dr.,   255 
Langworthy,     Edward,     contribution 

to  fund  by,   297,   298 
Langworthy,    Lucius    H.,    candidacy 

of,     for    Senator,     181;     reference 

to,    325 
Langworthy     brothers,     sketches     of 

lives  of, '308,    309 


348 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


Lattimer,  Mr.,   113 

Law,   study  of,   by  Jones,    7 

Lawless,   Luke  E.,    170 

Lead,  shipping  of,  to  St.  Louis,  91, 
92 ;  purchase  of,  by  Jones,  95 

Lead  mines,  migration  of  Jones  to, 
7,  86;  rush  of  settlers  to,  8,  9; 
return  of  Jones  to,  9,  10 ;  dan 
gers  in  region  of,  10 ;  United 
States  agent  at,  145 ;  reference 
to,  282 

Lead  mining,  first  effort  of  Jones 
at,  252 

Lecompton  Constitution,  controver 
sy  over,  50,  51;  opposition  to,  in 
Iowa,  52,  53;  support  of,  by 
Jones,  52-54;  reference  to,  54, 
55 ;  opposition  of  Douglas  to,  54 

Le   Claire,    Odile,    142 

Lee,  Robert  E.,  county  named  for, 
101;  reference  to,  291 

Lee  County,    277 

Letcher,  Robert  P.,  160 

Lexington  (Kentucky),  Jones  in 
school  at,  5 ;  journey  to,  6,  82 ; 
reference  to,  66,  83,  84,  88,  102, 
240,  241,  257,  259,  275,  332; 
Rice  Jones  in  school  at,  78 

Lexington   County    (Kentucky),    103 

Lewis,  Warner,  174,  176,  276;  rec 
ollections  of,  256,  257 

Lewis,   Mrs.  Warner,   295 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  campaign  be 
tween  Douglas  and,  55,  192;  ref 
erence  to,  60,  61,  97,  143,  246, 
280;  meeting  of  Jones  with,  235- 
241;  greeting  of  soldiers  by,  236; 
anecdote  by,  240,  241 

Lincoln,  Mrs.  Abraham,  237;  visit 
of  Jones  with,  241 

Lind,  Jenny,  recollections  of,  by 
Jones,  274,  275 

Linn,  Lewis  F.,  5,  26,  82,  89,  90, 
92,  93,  102,  108,  110,  115,  128, 
131,  160,  172,  177,  262,  266, 
267,  301,  308,  322;  advice  to 
Jones  by,  7,  85,  86;  friendship 
of  Jones  and,  66 ;  county  named 
for,  101;  Jones  recommended  by, 
175 

Linn,  Mrs.  Lewis  F.,  92 

Linn,  William,  5,  302;  Jones  as 
drummer  in  company  of,  82 

Linn,   Mrs.  WTilliam,    122 

Little  Rock    (Arkansas),   80 

London    (England),    75 

Long,  Colonel,  harbor  inspected  by, 
280,  281 

Louisiana,    136 

Louisville  (Kentucky),  John  Rice 
Jones  at,  76 


Love,  James  M.,  recollections  of,  by 

Jones,    280 

Lower  Harbor  Improvement  Com 
pany,  281 

Lowry,   Father,    299,    300 
Lucas,     Charles,     duel     of     Benton 

with,    170 
Lucas,    Robert,    appointment   of,    as 

Governor,    26 
Luke,    Mrs.,    283 
Lyon,  Lucius,   12,   14,  16,  113,  125, 

275;    letter    to    Jones,    from,    15; 

letters  written  by,    310 
Lyons  (Iowa),  bill  for  railroad  west 

from,   48 

McArthur,   Duncan,   267 

McArthur,  Mrs.  John,  89;  hotel 
kept  by,  110 

McCarty,   Jonathan,    329 

McCloskey,   John,    223 

McCraney,  Thomas,  ferry  leased  by, 
32 

McDougall,  James  A.,  anecdote  of, 
240,  241 

McGregor,  80,  211 

McHenry,  George,  appointment  of, 
as  Register,  186 

McKeon,  John,   141,  246 

Mackie,  James  S.,  instructions  giv 
en  to  Jones  by,  220-222 ;  refer 
ence  to,  235 

McKnight,    Sheldon,   273 

McKnight,  Thomas,  115,  176,  179, 
186,  285 ;  visits  of,  at  Sinsinawa 
Mound,  145,  146;  marriage  of,  251 

McKnight,  Mrs.  Thomas,   145 

McSherry,   Mr.,    112,    113 

Madison,   James,   263 

Madison    (steamship),    265 

Madison  (Wisconsin),  land  specu 
lation  in,  21,  22;  choice  of,  as 
capital,  22;  land  on  site  of, 
owned  by  Jones,  96;  reference 
to,  312 

Madrid  (Spain),  departure  of 
Dodge  for,  141;  reference  to,  300 

Magdalena  River,  58,  331;  journey 
of  Jones  up,  224 

Mahoney,  D.  A.,  opposition  of,  to 
Jones,  44;  defense  of  Jones  by, 
61,  64;  imprisonment  of,  61 

Mallwydd  (Wales),  birth  of  John 
Rice  Jones  at,  75 

Manning,  Miss,   206 

Maracajbo    (Venezuela),   227 

Marie-Louise    (servant),    142 

Marlborough  Road,   163 

Martin,  Morgan  L.,  candidacy  of, 
for  Delegate,  13,  125;  reference 
to,  21,  126,  273 


INDEX 


349 


Mason,  Charles,  candidacy  of,  for 
Senator,  181 

Mason,  Stevens  T.,  6,  21,  310,  311; 
election  of,  as  Governor,  14 ; 
proclamation  by,  14,  15;  com 
mission  sent  to  Jones  by,  123, 
124 

Massey,  Mr.,   154 

Massey,  Mr.,  murder  of  Smith  by, 
155 

Massey,  Louisa,  shooting  of  Smith 
by,  154,  155 ;  county  named  for, 
155;  reference  to,  325 

Massey,  Woodbury,  assassin  of, 
154 ;  murder  of,  154 ;  revenge  for 
murder  of,  155 ;  reference  to,  325 

Mathieu,    Albert,    224 

Mayott,   Madam,    116 

Mazzuchelli,  Samuel,  marriages  by, 
144;  recollections  of,  by  Jones, 
261,  262 

Meade,  E.  B.,  letter  to  Jones  from, 
246 

Meeker,  Moses,  nomination  of,  for 
Delegate,  20 

Meeker's  Grove,    124 

Menifee,   Richard  H.,    166,   168 

Menominee   River,    87 

Merionethshire    (Wales),    75 

Metropolitan  Hotel  (Washington), 
184,  203 

Mexican  War,  33,  259,  277;  brav 
est  officer  in,  187 

Mexico,  escape  of  Dunlap  to,  80 ; 
reference  to,  136 

Michealson,  Mr.,   227 

Michigan,  admission  of,  into  Union, 
12,  13,  28,  126;  provisional  State 
government  in,  18 ;  reference  to, 
324 

Michigan,  Territory  of,  migration  of 
Jones  to,  3 ;  efforts  to  secure  di 
vision  of,  12 ;  provisional  State 
government  in  eastern  part  of, 
12  ;  election  of  Jones  as  Delegate 
from,  13,  28,  125,  126;  service 
of  Jones  as  Delegate  from,  14 ; 
difficulties  in,  14-17;  meeting  of 
legislature  of,  16 ;  service  of 
Jones  to,  19 ;  end  of  existence  of, 
28;  reference  to,  86,  102;  bill  to 
divide,  103 ;  extent  of,  324 

Miller,  John,  refusal  of,  to  act  as 
second,  161 

Mills,  Ben,  123 

Milwaukee,  appropriation  for  sur 
vey  of  railroad  to  Mississippi 
River  from,  23:  reference  to, 
149,  328;  memorial  for  survey  of 
road  west  from,  171;  banquet 
tendered  to  Jones  at,  264,  265 


Mine  a  Breton    (Missouri),    77,   252 

Mineral  Point  (Wisconsin),  courts 
held  at,  11;  meeting  of  citizens 
at,  13,  125;  contest  between  Bel- 
mont  and,  20;  removal  of  Jones 
to,  33,  147;  celebration  at,  33; 
arrival  of  Frazer  at,  110;  refer 
ence  to,  113,  123,  175;  Jones  in 
court  at,  124;  grant  of  land  to, 
151;  newspaper  at,  274 

Mining,  engagement  of  Jones  in,  7; 
success  of  Jones  in,  9;  activities 
of  Jones  in,  87,  88 

Minneapolis,   147 

Minnesota,    53,    126,    324 

Mississippi,   return  of  Davis  to,   266 

Mississippi  River,  crossing  of,  by 
Jones.  3,  95;  reference  to,  8,  67, 
96,  110,  118,  126,  131,  133,  135, 
146,  150,  174,  196,  198,  200, 
238,  295;  reappearance  of  Black 
Hawk  east  of,  10;  projects  for 
railroads  to,  23 ;  population  west 
of,  23,  24;  terminus  of  railroad 
on,  38,  189;  rapids  in,  42,  43; 
railroads  connecting  Missouri  and, 
48;  shipping  of  lead  down,  91, 
92:  jurisdiction  west  of,  155; 
journey  of  Dodge  up,  282 

Missouri,  life  of  Jones  in,  4,  66 ; 
political  activities  of  John  Rice 
Jones  in,  4,  5,  77,  78;  constitu 
tional  convention  of,  5 ;  judge  of 
supreme  court  of,  5 ;  return  of 
Jones  to,  7 ;  early  French  fami 
lies  in,  9;  first  draft  of  Constitu 
tion  of,  78;  reference  to,  101, 
102,  126,  139,  183,  282 

Missouri   Compromise,    repeal  of,    47 

Missouri  River,  bill  for  railroad 
from  Davenport  to,  37,  41,  42; 
unorganized  land  west  of,  46; 
railroads  connecting  Mississippi 
and.  48 

Mitchell,    Gilbert  C.  R.,   329 

Mobile   (Alabama),   198,  207 

Montagues,    50 

Moore,    Thomas   P.,    160 

Moore.  Mr.,  album  of  Mrs.  Davis 
recovered  from,  289-293 

Moore,   Mrs.,   292 

Moore's   Mill,    289,   290 

Morehead,   Charles   S.,   83 

Morgan,  James  M.,  relations  be 
tween  Jones  and,  44 

Moro  Castle,   279 

Morse,  Isaac  E.,  letter  from  Jones 
to,  61,  63 

Mosquera,  Tomas  C.  D.,  capture  of 
Bogota  by,  59,  230;  reception  of 
Jones  by,  226;  capture  of  Aran- 


350 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


gurin  by,  228;  promise  of,  not 
to  execute  Arangurin,  229 ;  din 
ner  given  by,  229;  warning  to, 
229,  230;  friendship  between 
Jones  and,  231;  capture  of  Os- 
pina  by,  231;  appeal  of  Ministers 
to,  232 ;  letter  of  Jones  to,  233 

Mosquera,  Mrs.  Tomas  C.  D.,  228, 
230 

Mount  Sterling   (Kentucky),  83 

Mounted  Rangers,  Dodge  appointed 
major  of,  11 

Murphy,   James,    124 

Muscatine,   182 

Myers,  William,   142,    152 

Nairn,    Thomas    S.,    appointment   of, 

as  clerk,   256;   marriage  of,   256 
Nashville   (Tennessee),  84 
National      Democratic       Convention, 

177 
National    Hotel    (Washington),    260, 

277 
National       Theatre       (Washington), 

274 

Nebraska,    126 

Nebraska,    Territory   of,    bill   for   or 
ganization  of,   47 
Nelson,   Mr.,    227 
New    Diggings    (Missouri),    removal 

of  Jones   to,    5,    77 ;   reference   to, 

80,   145,  251 
New     England,     settlers     from,     27; 

reference  to,  127 
New    Granada,    57,    59,    223;    Jones 

appointed       Minister       to,       216; 

treaty  between  United  States  and, 

225,    226,    227;    change    of   name 

of,  231 
New    Mexico,    Territory    of,    bill    to 

establish,  40;  reference  to,   176 
New   Orleans,    257,    268,    279,    293, 

295 

New  York,   127 
New  York  City,   arrest  of  Jones  in, 

60;    reference   to,    141,    192,    202, 

223,   265 

New  York  Hotel,   242 
Nicholson,   Alfred  O.   P.,   216 
North  Dakota,   126,   324 
Norvell,  John,   125 

O'Conner,     Patrick,     trial    of,     155; 

petition  of,  to  Jones,   155,   156 
O'Connor,  Charles,   246 
Ohio,   3,   126,   127 
Ohio     River,     efforts     to     introduce 

slavery  north  of,  4,   66;  reference 

to,   66,    110,   131,   146,   196 
Old    Northwest,    residence    of    Jones 

in,   4 


Oleon  (New  York),  lumber  from, 
146 

Oliver,  Thomas,   89,   91 

Oregon,   126 

Osage,  land  office  at,  270;  reunion 
at,  270 

Osborne,  W.  H.,  interview  of,  with 
Jones,  206-208;  reference  to,  210 

Ospina,  Marianna,  59,  224,  225, 
233;  plan  of  Mosquera,  to  expel, 
226;  capture  of,  231;  interces 
sion  of  Ministers  in  behalf  of, 
231,  232 

Otey,  Mr.,  255 

Pacific  Ocean,   126 

Palmer,   J.  McAuley,   302 

Pana,   209 

Panama     Railroad     Company,     226, 

227 
Pardo,     Secretary,     224,     225,     227, 

230 

Parker,  Alexander,   83 
Parkinson,   Daniel,   125 
Parraga,   Secretary,   244 
Patterson,      William,      removal      of, 

185 ;    restoration   of,    185,    186 
Paul    (servant),    142 
Payne,  J.  U.,  268,   296 
Pecatonica  River,   defeat  of  Indians 

on,    120 
Peck,    James    H.,    petition    to,     89; 

letter  to  Jones  from,   90,   91;   ref 
erence  to,  301 
Penn,  A.   G.,  279 
Penn,   Mrs.   A.   G.,   279 
Pennsylvania,    75,    109 
Pension,  granting  of,  to  Jones,  301- 

303 
Pensions,    Committee    on,    186,    187, 

274 

Peru   (Iowa),   151,  274 
Peters,   Belvard  J.,   83,   322 
Peyton,   Bailie,   arraignment  of  Van 

Buren     by,      157;     reference     to, 

158,    326 
Philadelphia,    John    Rice    Jones    in, 

4,     75;    reference    to,     187,    253; 

committee  of  citizens  of,   263 
Pierce,  Franklin,  56,   102,  141,  269, 

275;    appointments   by,    139,    140, 

186,    280;    attempt    of,    to    secure 

Jones   as   second   for   Cilley,    160, 

161;  friendship  of  Jones  and,  187 
Pioneer      Law-Makers      Association, 

address  by  Jones  before,  68 
Pittman,    Mrs.,    boarding    house    of, 

14 

Place,  Thomas,   289 
Platteville    (Wisconsin),    124 
Plumbe,    John,    172 


INDEX 


351 


Plumbe,   John,   Jr.,  23,   171;    career 

of,    172 

Plumbe,  Richard,  172 
Politics,  interest  of  Jones  in,   11 
Polk,  James  K.,  33,   172,   177,   183; 

Jones    restored   to    office   by,    113, 

114;     friendship     of     Jones     and, 

187 

Polk,   Mrs.  James  K.,    114 
Pope,   John,    173,   239 
Pope,   Nathaniel,    238,   239 
Porter,  David  B.,   278,   279 
Porter,  David  R.,   188 
Porter,   George  B.,    124 
Portugal,   Minister  to,    259 
Posey,   Alexander,   Dodge  ordered  to 

take  command  of  brigade  of,   119, 

121,   148;   reference  to,   149 
Possums,    178,    179 
Postmaster,   service  of  Jones   as,    10 
Postmaster      General,      mention      of 

Jones  for  position  of,  188 
Potosi   (Missouri),  removal  of  Jones 

to,    5,    77,    82 ;    reference    to,    85, 

251,   252,  253 
Potosi    (Wisconsin),   155 
Powell,  Eliza,  marriage  of,   75 
Prairie  du  Chien,  88,  89,  150,  294 
Pratt,    Judge,    132 
Preemption,   right  of,   151 
Prentice,   George  B.,  238,  240 
Prindle,  Captain,   6,   84 

Quigley,  Patrick,  152,  176,  178, 
179,  186 ;  biography  of  Jones  by, 
181 

Racine    (Wisconsin),   264 

Railroads,  interest  of  Jones  in  sub 
ject  of,  23 ;  efforts  of  Jones  to 
secure  grants  for,  36,  37,  38,  48, 
49;  memorial  for  survey  of,  171; 
appropriations  for  survey  of,  171; 
bill  granting  lands  for,  190 

Register  of  Land  Office,  appoint 
ment  of  Dodge  as,  138,  139 

Reid,  Dr.,  258 

Reid,  Miss,   279:  marriage  of,   280 

Reid,  James  A.,   254 

Reid,   Samuel  C.,   279,  280 

Relay  House,   102,   177 

Republican  party,  beginning  of,  48 ; 
ascendancy  of,  50 ;  control  of 
legislature  by,  52 

Republicans,  53;  attitude  of,  to 
ward  Jones,  65 

Reynolds,  John,  appointment  of 
Dunn  urged  by,  111;  reference 
to,  239 

Richardson,  William  A.,  198,  206, 
331 


Rider,   Mr.,   298 

Rives,  John  C.,   82,   107,   164 

Rock   Island,    Indian   Agent   at,    10; 

reference  to,    115 
Rocky  Mountains,   172 
Rogers,   Thomas,    180 
Roundtree,  John  H.,  career  of,  124; 

marriage   of,    124 
Rowan,  John,   76 
Russia,   Minister  to.   218 
Ryan,    William,    contribution    by,    to 

fund,   298 

Sac  Indians,    148 

Sac  and  Fox  Indians,  agent  of,  115 ; 
girls  captured  by,  116 

St.  Charles  Hotel  (New  Orleans), 
293,  296 

St.   Gemme,    Bertolnie,    142 

St.  Louis,  Jones  in  school  at,  5, 
82;  reference  to,  9.  66,  76,  81, 
87,  89,  96,  97,  118,  142,  146, 
170,  251,  253,  254,  256,  279, 
282,  283 ;  death  of  John  Rice 
Jones  in,  77,  78 ;  shipping  of  lead 
to,  91,  92 

St.  Nicholas  Hotel   (New  York),  223 

St.  Vrain,  Felix,  murder  of,  10,  115- 
118;  efforts  of,  to  prevent  Indian 
war,  118:  reference  to,  148 

St.  Vrain,  Julia,  254 

St.   Vrain,    Savinien,    142 

Ste.  Genevieve  (Missouri),  removal 
of  Jones  to,  4,  77,  81,  82;  educa 
tion  of  Jones  at,  5 ;  Jones  in 
study  of  law  at,  7 ;  return  of 
Jones  to,  8,  9,  86,  92;  return  of 
Mrs.  Jones  to,  10:  reference  to, 
11,  80,  87,  88,  91,  102,  111,  113, 
115,  119,  131,  132,  139,  142, 
143,  252,  254,  302;  law  practice 
of  Jones  at,  85 ;  departure  of 
Jones  from,  86 ;  petition  of  citi 
zens  of,  90 

Ste.   Genevieve  County,   89 

Samuels,  Benjamin  M.,  nomination 
of,  for  Senator,  52 ;  reference  to, 
210 

Samuels,  George,  purchase  of  lead 
prospect  of,  255 

San  Francisco,  81,  172;  memorial 
for  survey  of  railroad  to,  171 

Santa  Fe  de  Bogota   (see  Bogota) 

Santa  Maria,   Senor,  224,   225 

Savage,  John,  marriage  of,  280 

Schaumbourg,  James  W.,  161,  162, 
163,  165,  168,  257 

Scott,  Andrew,  marriage  of,  80 ;  de 
scendants  of,  80 ;  reference  to, 
81,  119,  145,  251,  285 

Scott,  Dr.  Andrew,  80 


352 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


Scott,  Eliza,  marriage  of,  80,  143, 
144 

Scott,  Elizabeth,  marriage  of,  80, 
145 

Scott,   Fanny,  marriage  of,   251 

Scott,   George  Dodge,   81 

Scott,    George   Scull   Crittenden,   80 

Scott,   Henry  Clay,   80 

Scott,  John,  Jones  in  law  office  of, 
7:  marriage  of,  81;  reference  to, 
85,  94,  97,  99,  101,  119,  142, 
145,  251,  285,  301,  322;  petition 
by,  89;  defeat  of,  for  Representa 
tive,  101,  102 

Scott,  Mrs.  John,  death  of  John 
Bice  Jones  at  home  of,  77,  78 ; 
reference  to,  86,  142 

Scott,  John  Rice  Homer,  80 

Scott,    Winfield,    278 

Sebastian,  William  K.,  54 

Senator,  United  States,  Jones  as,  4; 
election  of  Grimes  as,  52;  last 
session  of  Jones  as,  56 

Senators,  United  States,  first  elec 
tion  of,  in  Iowa,  34,  35,  178-182 

Sevier,  Ambrose  H.,   103,   104,  268 

Seward,   Frederick,   235 

Seward,  Mrs.  Frederick,   238 

Seward,  William  H.,  42,  187,  234, 
235,  237,  238;  arrest  of  Jones 
by  order  of,  60,  244;  compliments 
to  Jones  by,  233 ;  address  to 
troops  by,  236;  Jones  introduced 
to  Lincoln  by,  236;  visit  of  Jones 
with,  241,  242;  suit  of  Jones 
against,  246,  247;  denunciation 
of,  by  Foote,  272 

Shannon,   George  A.,   152,   153 

Shannon,    Susan,    92 

Shannon,    Susan,    142 

Shannon,  William,  reward  for  cap 
ture  of  Dunlap  offered  by,  79, 
80;  reference  to,  89,  90,  92 

Shannon,   Mrs.  William,   86,   93 

Sheean,  Mr.,  return  of,  from  Fort 
Lafayette,  209 

Sheldon,  John  P.,  appointment  of, 
to  land  office,  12 ;  recollections  of, 
by  Jones,  273,  274 

Sherman,  John,  302,   334 

Shields,  James,  38,  44,  191,  198, 
201,  206,  255;  amendment  to 
railroad  bill  favored  by,  189;  let 
ter  to  Jones  from,  203,  204 

Shrader,  Mary,  marriage  of,    111 

Shrader,   Otto,  111 

Sinipee  (Wisconsin),  public  meet 
ing  at,  171 

Sinsinawa  Mound,  location  of  Jones 
at,  8,  86 ;  mining  operations  of 
Jones  at,  9;  house  built  at,  by 


Jones,  10,  143 ;  preparation  for 
defense  of,  10;  reference  to,  11, 
32,  33,  69,  91,  96,  113,  114,  122, 
137,  155,  264;  jurisdiction  over 
region  of,  12 ;  return  of  Jones  to, 
31,  95;  visits  of  Davis  at,  89; 
arrival  of  Mrs.  Jones  at,  143 ; 
claim  taken  by  Jones  at,  145 ; 
removal  of  Jones  from,  147 ;  In 
dian  massacre  at,  149 

Sircey,  Judge,  135;  marriage  of 
Dodge  by,  136;  reference  to,  137 

Sircey,  Mrs.,    136 

Sisters  of  Charity,   223 

Sioux  City,  proposed  railroad  from 
Dubuque  to,  189 ;  land  owned  by 
Jones  on  site  of,  323 

Slavery,  efforts  to  introduce,  north 
of  Ohio  River,  4,  66;  attitude  of 
Jones  toward,  40 ;  attitude  of 
people  of  Iowa  toward,  41 ;  dis 
position  of,  in  Kansas-Nebraska 
bill,  47 ;  constitutional  rights  of, 
64 ;  acquaintance  of  Jones  with, 
66 

Smith,  Bill,  life  of  Jones  threatened 
by,  154 ;  murder  of  Massey  by, 
154;  shooting  of,  by  Louisa  Mas 
sey,  154,  155 ;  murder  of  father 
of,  155;  reference  to,  325 

Smith,  Bishop,  Jones  induced  to  ac 
cept  appointment  by,  219,  220 

Smith,  John  Cotton,  277 

Smith,    Truman,    244 

Smith  T,   John,   trial   of,    89 

Soulard,  James  G.,   146 

South,  sympathy  of  Jones  toward, 
51,  63  ;  friendliness  of  Buchanan 
toward,  51;  reasons  for  sympathy 
of  Jones  with,  65-67;  visits  of 
Jones  to,  67 

South  America,  experiences  of  Jones 
in,  58 

South  American  Bureau,  chief  of, 
222 

South  Dakota,   126,   324 

Spain,  Minister  to,  appointment  of 
Dodge  as,  56,  139,  140;  service 
of  Dodge  as,  141 

Spanish  language,  learning  of,  by 
Jones,  224,  225 

Speculation,  opportunity  for,  22; 
success  of  Jones  in,  22,  23 

Sprague,  J.,  219 

Springfield  (Illinois),  209,  236, 
237,  240 

Squatter  sovereignty,  51 

Stahl,  Frederick,  117 

Stanton,  Edwin  M.,   246 

Stephens,   Alexander  H.,   286 

Stephenson,   James  W.,    116 


INDEX 


353 


Stewart,  Adam  Duncan,  marriage 
of,  276 

Stokely,  Mr.,   102 

Sub-Treasury   Bill,    263,    265 

Sucker  State,  origin  of  term,   8 

Sumner,   Charles,    187 

Supreme  Court,  Jones  as  Clerk  of, 
147 

Surveyor  General,  service  of  Jones 
as,  31,  32,  33,  175;  location  of 
office  of,  32;  reference  to,  112, 
178,  180 ;  Jones  restored  to  of 
fice  of,  113-115 

Swan's  Hotel   (Iowa  City),  181 

Tama  County,  289 

Taney,  Roger  B.,  263,  322;  recol 
lections  of,  by  Jones,  264 

Taylor,   Mr.,    258 

Taylor,   Hawkins,   179 

Taylor,  Zachary,  34,  99,  178,  179, 
222,  259,  323 ;  appointment  by, 
100 

Tennessee,  84,   197 

Tete  des  Morts  River,    196 

Texas,  intention  of  Jones  to  re 
move  to,  63 ;  escape  of  Dunlap 
to,  80;  removal  of  Jones  brothers 
to,  81;  reference  to,  136 

Thomas,    Frank,    173 

Thomas,  Jesse  B.,  bond  given  by, 
77;  reference  to,  240 

Thompson,  Jacob,  206,  208,  209, 
268 

Thurman,  Allen  G.,  266 

Tibbatts,  John  W.f  83,  322 

Tiber  River  (Washington,  D.  C.), 
190;  fall  of  Davis  into,  266,  267 

Timon,    John,    223 

Tippecanoe,   battle   of,    78 

Toucey,  Isaac,  223 

Transylvania  University,  entrance 
of,  by  Jones,  5 ;  experiences  of 
Jones  at,  5-7,  82-85 ;  graduation 
of  Jones  from,  7 ;  graduation  of 
Rice  Jones  from,  78,  79 ;  refer 
ence  to,  82,  123,  240,  257,  260, 
275 

Truitt,  Myers  F.,  marriage  of,   262 

Turney,  John,    123 

Turpie,  David,  bill  for  pension  in 
troduced  by,  302 

Turpin,  E.  A.,  letters  from  Jones 
to,  6 

Tyler,  John,  112;  appointment  of 
Doty  by,  126,  127 

Union,  desire  of  Jones  for  main 
tenance  of,  40,  64,  65 ;  dissolu 
tion  of,  63 

Union    Philosophical    Society,    91 


United  States,  treaty  between  New 
Granada  and.  225,  226,  227 

United  States  Dragoons,  First  Regi 
ment  of,  Colonel  of,  106,  123 

United  States  of  Colombia,  57,  59, 
216,  217,  231 

Utah,  Territory  of,  bill  to  establish, 
40 

Van  Antwerp,  Yerplank,  45 

Van  Buren,  Martin,  26,  84,  101, 
112,  114.  172.  176,  178,  264 
265,  266,  275,  308;  countj 
named  for,  101;  appointments  by 
130,  131;  arraignment  of,  157 
defense  of,  by  Cilley,  157,  158: 
intention  of,  to  appoint  Jones  as 
Governor,  174 

Vandalia    (Illinois),    122 

Van   Pelt,   Mrs.,    295 

Vilar,  Miss,   134,   136 

Vilas,  William  F.,  302 

Vincennes  (Indiana),  birth  of  Jones 
at,  3,  65,  75 ;  settlement  of  John 
Rice  Jones  at,  4;  removal  of  John 
Rice  Jones  to,  76 ;  reference  to, 
78 

Virginia,    76,    125 

Wade,  Benjamin  F.,  54 

Wales,  birth  of  John  Rice  Jones  in, 
75 

Walker,   Robert  J..    129,    173 

Walling,   Mr.,    185 

Waples  House  (Dubuque),  dinner 
at,  130 

War  of  1812,  Jones  as  drummer 
boy  in,  68:  reference  to,  82,  119. 
263,  273,  280,  302 

Warren,  Mr.,  pass  taken  up  by, 
209,  210 

Washburne,  Mrs.   E.  B.,   264 

Washington,   George,    122 

Washington's  Birthday  ball,  254, 
255 

Washington  (D.  C.).  visit  of  Jones 
to,  32,  67,  301;  absence  of  Jones 
from,  46 ;  return  of  Jones  to, 
from  Bogota,  60 :  reference  to, 
102,  192,  202,  220,  265;  arrival 
of  Jones  and  Dodge  in,  182 : 
journey  of  Jones  and  Dodge  to, 
184;  departure  of  Jones  from, 
for  Bogota,  223:  belle  of,  275 

Washington    (State),    126 

Waterloo,   289 

Watters,  Tom,  255 

Webb.  James  Watson,  charge 
against,  157,  158;  note  to  Cilley 
from,  158;  reference  to,  170,  326 

Webster,    Daniel,    land    speculations 


354 


GEORGE  WALLACE  JONES 


of  Jones  and,  22,  23,  96-99;  ref 
erence  to,  36,  99,  101,  277;  debt 
of,  to  Jones,  98;  Jenny  Lind  ap 
plauded  by,  275;  interest  in  fer 
ry  sold  to,  314,  315,  322,  323 

Webster,    Sidney,    140 

Wells,   Sarah,   283 

West  Point,  graduation  of  Davis  at, 
89;  reference  to,  182,  253 

Western  Military  Institute,  Charles 
Jones  in  school  at,  227,  259; 
Elaine  professor  at,  286 

Whigs,  attitude  of,  toward  compro 
mise,  39;  minority  of,  44;  dis 
appearance  of,  47 

White,  Joseph  M.,   103,   104 

Wilkie,  F.  B.,   313 

Willard's    Hotel    (Washington),    237 

Williams,  Joseph,   45 

Williams,  Lieutenant,  duel  between 
Jones  and,  313 

Willoughby,   Lord,    141 

Wilmot,  David,   184 

Wilmot  Proviso,  attitude  of  Iowa 
toward,  39 

Wilson,   David  S.,    254 

Wilson,   Francis   S.,   283 

Wilson,  John,  letter  to  Jones  from, 
204,  205;  reference  to,  256 

Wilson,   Joseph,    256 

Wilson,   Samuel  M.,   81 

Wilson,  Thomas  S.,  candidacy  of, 
for  Senator,  34,  49,  50,  179-182; 
reference  to,  45,  52,  329;  con 
versation  between  Jones  and,  180, 
181 

Wiltse,  Henry  A.,  254 

Winchester    (Illinois),    195 

Winnebago  Indians,  interpretress 
for,  116;  reference  to,  148;  agent 
for,  265 

Wisconsin,  location  of  Jones  in,  8 ; 
Jones  as  Surveyor  General  for, 
31;  reference  to,  86,  126,  166, 


177,     324;     federal    appointments 
in,    113,    114 

Wisconsin,  Territory  of,  3,  98,  174; 
efforts  to  secure  establishment  of, 

17,  18;    bill  for  establishment  of, 

18,  103 ;     establishment     of,     18, 
126;    organization   of,    19;    officers 
of,    19;    election    of    Delegate    in, 

19,  20,    27,   28;   struggle  over  lo 
cation  of  capital  of,  20-22 ;  Jones 
as  Delegate  from,   23 ;   population 
of,    23 ;    division    of,    secured    by 
Jones,    23,    24 ;    term   of  Jones   as 
Delegate  from,   28,   29,   30;   Jones 
as    Clerk    of    Supreme    Court    of, 
33 ;     appointment    of    officers    of, 
103-111;  bill  for  division  of,  127; 
memorial  from,   171 ;   appointment 
of  Dodge  as  Governor  of,  175 

Wisconsin  Heights,  battle  of,    150 

Wisconsin  River,    150 

Wise,  Henry  A.,  25,  158,  165,  166, 
173 ;  petitions  for  expulsion  of, 
25 ;  arraignment  of  Van  Buren 
by,  157;  challenge  amended  by, 
159;  challenge  carried  by,  159; 
character  of,  159,  160 ;  arrange 
ments  for  duel  made  by  Jones 
and,  164,  165;  service  of,  as  sec 
ond  in  duel,  167-169;  statement 
concerning  Cilley  duel  by,  169, 
170 

Wood,  Lieutenant,  245 

Woodbridge,  William  W.,  nomina 
tion  of,  for  Delegate,  13,  125; 
election  certificate  claimed  by,  15 ; 
reference  to,  118,  126,  148^  273, 
310;  election  of  Jones  contested 
by,  126 

Wright,  George  G.,  287 

Wright,   Silas,   178,   255 

Wyeth,  Jacob,  marriage  of,  143,  144 

Yell,  Archibald,  159 


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